Something To Talk About
by Lady Kogawolf
Summary: Because of Ayame's lies, Kagome must prove to Sesshomaru that he fathered her pup. When the truth comes out, Kagome is given the chance of a lifetime and decides to take her fate into her own hands.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my newest fic and I hope that you enjoy it. Please review.  
Disclaimer: I don't, have not, nor ever will, own Inu Yasha or his friends. I do want a Kouga plushie, but I still won't have ownership of the Inu Yasha name.

I bow to the greatness that is Diana Palmer. Her books are out of this world and the inspiration for this story comes from her book "True Colors". Check it out.

* * *

_"Jakotsu! Jakotsu! Jakotsu!"_ The crowd chanted as they eagerly awaited their host. Finally, a figure appeared behind a screen and the crowd broke out into wild cheers. When the enigmatic host appeared, the crowd once again began to chant his name and they received a large smile and a wave for their efforts.

Jakotsu made his way through the audience and stopped on the spot where he would give the show's introduction. He smiled at the camera, his red lips gleaming underneath the bright lights that hung overhead. He winked at his director and then focused once again on the camera before him.

"Welcome to another sizzling episode of Jakotsu. Today we will meet women who are desperate to find the father of their children. These men and women have taken DNA tests and some have even taken polygraph tests. Now, let's meet Sango. Welcome, Sango." Jakotsu said, his dark eyes sliding over to the angry dark haired woman who was sitting stiffly in the chair upon the stage.

* * *

Kagome watched with curious eyes as Sango began to tell her story. It had shocked the hell out of her to see Sango here. After all, it had been so long since they had seen each other and it shocked Kagome to learn that Sango was the proud mother of a little girl and the very angry ex-girlfriend of Miroku, their high school's notorious male whore.

Shaking her head, Kagome looked over and smiled softly at the small bundle that was wrapped in a blanket and sitting in his car seat. Her little boy had already been through so much in his one month of life and she could not help but think that Sesshomaru was mainly responsible. After all, he was the one who helped her make their son and now he was denying that he was the father and it was all because of that pitiful red head, Ayame. Had it not been her spreading around lies about her, then perhaps she would not be in this mess.

Her life had been so good up until Ayame had crossed her path. She had a wonderful home, and loving fiancé, and a great job. Now, all she had was a tiny apartment, a bastard for an ex, and she had to leave the office and work out of her little apartment. It was not fair. She had done nothing wrong and yet everybody seemed to think that she had slept around on Sesshomaru. He was the one who cheated, not her.

Kagome's eyes went back to the television and she could not help but grin as Sango smacked the taste right out of Miroku's mouth. Well, he deserved it.

* * *

"I met Miroku while we were in high school. At first, he was very caring and sweet, but then we started to have sex and he changed. At first, it was not noticeable, but then he began to hit on women right in front of my face and he acted like it was no big deal. When I found out that I was pregnant, he accused me of cheating with a male friend of mine and broke up with me. It was then that I found out that he had been sleeping with Koharu behind my back." Sango said, her pretty face twisted into a mask of anger.

Jakotsu shook his head. "And he now questions the paternity of your child?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Sango nodded. "You got it. The bastard said that my little girl could not be his because he was sterile. Let me tell you, that is the biggest pile of horse crap I have ever heard." She hissed.

Jakotsu grinned. "Well, let's meet this winner and decide for ourselves. Let's welcome Miroku!" He said, motioning for Miroku to come onto the stage.

Miroku came down the steps and grinned, despite the boos and hisses of the audience. He winked at several of the ladies sitting in the first row and then shook Jakotsu's hand. He sat down next to Sango, who looked as though she were about to spit nails.

"Welcome, Miroku. Why do you think that you are not the father of Sango's baby?" He asked, his eyes locking with Miroku's violet orbs.

Miroku shrugged. "My dear Jakotsu, I cannot be the father because I cannot conceive children. I also know for a fact that Sango cheated on me several times and I refuse to care for a child that is not mine." He said, and began to name a few names of men who he thought had slept with Sango.

Jakotsu shook his head. "Well, you took both a DNA test and a polygraph test. Let's read Sango's test first." He said as he reached for a large envelope. He opened the envelope and took out the contents. He took in a deep breath and began to read. "Sango, you were asked if you ever cheated on Miroku and you said no. The test determined that you were telling the truth. You were asked if you ever had sex with the man that Miroku saw you with at the café and you said no. The test determined that you were telling the truth." Jakotsu announced, smiling as the crowd cheered for Sango. "Now, let's read Miroku's results. Miroku, you were asked if you cheated on Sango with anyone other than Koharu and you said no. The test determined that you were lying."

Sango stood up and towered over a shocked Miroku. He slowly shook his head and then found himself flat on his back with Sango being restrained by two very large looking bodyguards. He could see that she was just as strong as she had always been and she was looking for blood. His blood. He stood up and brushed himself off. Jakotsu watched the entire display with a smile upon his painted lips. He grinned and said, "Miroku, you were asked if you ever had sex with another woman in Sango's house, and you actually confessed to the gentleman who was conducting the test that you not only had sex in Sango's house while she was visiting her brother, you had several women at the same time in her house and had yourself an orgy."

The men of the audience began to cheer and clap as the women shot Miroku murderous looks, and chanted at Sango to kick his sorry ass. Miroku took in a deep breath and prayed that he would leave the studio with his balls in the same place that they had been when he had awoken that morning, but it looked as though he were about to find out the true meaning behind the saying, 'a woman scorned'. He would swear later that he had seen his life flash before his eyes as Sango lunged for his throat, but was caught by two very large bodyguards.

Sango began to scream and even offered to pay the bodyguards if they let go of her. However, they kept a tight grip on her and glared at Miroku when he suggested they use a tranquillizer on her to calm her down.

Jakotsu was not finished. He loudly told the crowd to quiet down and held up the results of the paternity test. "Let's find out the father of Sango's beautiful little girl." He announced.

He read the results and lifted an eyebrow. He glanced at Miroku and said, "Miroku, you are the father of Sakura!"

Miroku paled and then jumped out of his seat. He bolted up the stairs and disappeared from the crowd's sight. Sango had broken free and was hot on his heels, her fists pummeling her ex's head as she screamed obscenities at him. Finally, she exhausted herself and she broke down in tears.

"You bastard! After all that I have done for you, you lie, cheat, and abandon me and your little girl. How can you even look at yourself in the mirror?" She sobbed, her face hidden within her hands.

Miroku shook his head. "I don't know. I am sorry, Sango. I am sorry for everything." He whispered.

Jakotsu gently placed his hand upon Miroku's shoulders and said, "I would like the both of you to speak with one of our counselors."

Both Sango and Miroku nodded their heads and were led away, but could still be heard arguing down the hall. Jakotsu walked back out to the stage and smiled at the audience. "Next, we will meet a young woman who is desperate to prove to her ex that he is the father of her little boy and that she did not cheat on him. We will meet Kagome after this commercial." He said, giving the audience a wink.

* * *

Kagome took in a deep breath. She had spotted all of Sesshomaru's friends and his father out in the audience. Even her own cousin, Bankotsu, was there. He did not believe her when she had tried to defend herself and had called her a giant slut. Even her own mother had doubted that her little boy was Sesshomaru's. She could see the smirks on the faces of Kouga, Hiten, Inu Yasha, Kagura, and Naraku. Bankotsu was shaking his head in disgust. Well, they were all about to kiss her ass. She was going to prove exactly which one of them was the slut. And, she would drop a bombshell on Sesshomaru that he would not soon forget. It was time that he felt the same loss that she did.

It amazed her that an inu youkai could be so insensitive towards a pup, but that was how he was. She never should have gotten involved with him.

"Kagome, are you ready?" A soft voice asked. Kagome turned to find Kikyo looking at her with large, sympathetic eyes.

"Yeah. I am ready. Where is Suikotsu?" Kagome asked, looking around for her cousin's husband.

"He is sitting in the audience. Don't worry, things will be fine. Just go out there and don't let Sesshomaru or his bitch intimidate you." Kikyo advised, giving her cousin a hug.

Kagome nodded and walked out of the green room. She turned to see Kikyo take her place besides the tiny pup. Squaring her shoulders, Kagome walked into the hall and towards the stage, following the young woman who had come to escort her. It was time to go and confront the father of her puppy.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Before anyone asks, yes Sesshomaru should have been able to smell that Kagome was with his pup, but the reasoning that he did not is because his youkai was so enraged at the thought of being betrayed, that he simply did not notice. Ok, back to the fic. If I think of anything else, I'll let you guys know.

* * *

Kagome smiled nervously at the feminine male and nodded when he whispered for her to relax. She had actually met Jakotsu a few months prior and they had become friends. In fact, it had been Jakotsu's idea for this show and he was just as desperate as she was to prove to Sesshomaru that he was a father. It had pained him to see her hurting, especially after everything that she had been forced to endure alone. Finally, that sadistic bastard would see that he was nothing but a giant fool and Kagome's name would finally be cleared.

Jakotsu turned and looked at the camera and waited for his cue. When it came, he smiled and said, "Our next guest is a young woman who is desperate to prove to her ex that he is in fact the father of her pup and that she never cheated on him. Let's all give Kagome a warm welcome."

Kagome smiled nervously when the crowd clapped loudly, but a rude voice yelled, "WHORE!" and caused the smile to quickly fade from Kagome's lips. She glanced down at her lap and jumped when Jakotsu's hand covered hers.

"Kagome, tell us what has been going on. We know that the father of your precious little pup is now denying that he is the father and that he believes that you cheated on him." Jakotsu said, his tone soft.

Kagome nodded. "Yes. About a year ago, Sesshomaru and I were in a relationship and he had asked me to marry him. I said yes. His family was paying for the entire affair, but I wanted to pay for something, so I decided to buy my wedding dress myself. But, the one I wanted cost too much, so I took a second job to pay for it, and that meant that I had to spend less time with Sesshomaru." She explained.

She took in a deep breath and could hear the angry mutters coming from Sesshomaru's friends, but she just ignored it. "Then, in February, I came home to find Sesshomaru packing his stuff and he told me that he was on to me and that he knew that I was cheating on him. I tried to explain that I was not cheating on him, but he told me to shut up and that he had seen the video. I really did not know what to think, but I kept trying to tell him that whoever he saw in the video that he saw was not me." She explained.

Jakotsu nodded sympathetically. He had heard about this video, but had never seen it. However, that would change because Sesshomaru had brought the video. He glanced at Kagome and then asked, "Did you tell him that you were pregnant?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. I was going to wait until after we had married. But, after he accused me of cheating, it slipped out and he said that the pup was not his. But, I swear that I never cheated on him." She said as tears streamed down her face.

Jakotsu shook his head. He glanced at the audience and could see that they sympathized with Kagome, well, most of them at least.

He looked directly at the camera and said, "Sesshomaru and his new girlfriend, Ayame, are backstage and they had something that they wanted to say to Kagome. Let's turn our attentions to the screen behind me."

Kagome's eyes widened with pain when the image of her ex-boyfriend and his new lover came onto the screen. Her heart leapt into her mouth and she felt sickened at the way Sesshomaru was holding the redhead. She could hear the snickers from his friends who were sitting in the audience.

"Kagome, you are nothing but a liar. You know that you cheated on me and that the pup that you have is not mine. I saw the video, and even your own cousin said that it was you on the tape, so stop lying." Sesshomaru growled, his golden eyes flickering from gold to red. "Oh, by the way, my father likes Ayame much better than you and has said that I definitely traded up when I got together with her."

Ayame smirked. "When this test comes back and says that Sess is not the father of your pup, you better pack your shit and move, girl. You are nothing to us and need to accept that he is with me, a real woman, who can satisfy him better than you ever could. I can't wait to see your face when the test comes back and makes you look like a total fool. You need to go and find the real father of your bastard pup and leave me and my boyfriend alone, bitch!" She sneered, her green eyes glittering maliciously.

Jakotsu shook his head when the screen turned black and said, "Let's welcome Sesshomaru and Ayame." Gods, in his opinion, Sesshomaru's taste in women had gone straight into the gutter. He squared his shoulders and prepared to meet his guests. Hopefully, he would not have to touch that idiot, Ayame.

The thunderous boos echoed throughout the studio and did not seem to bother Sesshomaru. In fact, he kept his eyes narrowed on Kagome, who had quickly moved their chairs away from hers. Ayame, on the other hand, came out screaming at the audience and flipped them off, saying that they needed to mind their own damn business. He sat down and glanced over at where his friends sat and smirked. His father nodded in approval at him. He, too, felt betrayed by Kagome and wanted her to pay for sleeping around on his son.

Ayame growled at Kagome before sitting down and snapped her fangs at the young woman. She grasped Sesshomaru's hand and held it possessively. Both turned their attention to the feminine male before them.

"Sesshomaru, do you believe that this pup is not yours?" Jakotsu asked, his dark eyes narrowing.

Sesshomaru glanced over at the screen, and took in a quick breath. The pup had silver hair. His little white ears stood out on the top of his head, reminding Sesshomaru of how Inu Yasha had looked when he was born. However, looks were not enough to make him change his mind. Ayame would never lie to him and had been the one to tell him what Kagome was up to. It was just a coincidence that the pup looked like him. He glanced at his father, and was surprised to see shock written all over the elder youkai's face as he studied the little pup on the large screen.

"No, that is not my pup." He said, his tone firm. He glanced over at Kagome and noticed that her hands were clenched tightly and he could not help but think that any minute her nails would start to draw blood.

Jakotsu gave Kagome a sympathetic look. "Kagome, is there something else that needs to be said?" He asked, his tone soft.

Kagome had to bite back a sob. "My son had a sister, but she passed away three hours after delivery. She had a hole in her heart and could not be saved. Her name was Keyana and she was beautiful." She said softly.

Jakotsu felt his eyes moisten as a picture of Kagome and a dark haired pup appeared. It was clear that the pup was very sick and from the look of Kagome's face, she knew that she would be leaving with only one pup. He glanced at Sesshomaru and felt his blood boil. He decided that this would be the perfect time to bring out that supposed proof of Sesshomaru's.

"Sesshomaru, you claim to have a video that proves that Kagome was cheating on you. So, let's go ahead and show it." Jakotsu said, waving his hand in the air. Oh, yeah. Someone's bubble was about to be busted.

Kagome watched with narrowed eyes as two images appeared. At first, Kagome was stunned, but then she became angry. Is this video the reason why her life has been such a living hell? Anyone with eyesight could see that the woman in the video was not her. It didn't take a rocket scientist see that there were many differences between her and the woman on the video. Turning in her seat and shaking with rage, she said through clenched teeth, "That is not me. That is my other cousin, Kikyo and that man is her husband, Suikotsu."

Jakotsu lifted an eyebrow. Oh, his ratings were going to be good. He moved closer to Kagome. "Are you sure, Kagome?" He asked.

Kagome nodded. "Yep. They are standing in the parking lot of their new apartment complex, and from the time stamp on the bottom of the video, I can honestly say that I was at work at the time this video was shot. Ask Suikotsu. He is sitting right there. Besides, I look nothing like Kikyo. She has much longer hair than I do and is a bit taller than me." She said, pointing.

Jakotsu hurried over to where a very handsome young man was sitting and motioned for him to stand up. "Tell me, is that you and Kagome or you and Kikyo." He demanded as he thrust the microphone underneath the angered man's lips.

Suikotsu was so angry that he could barely talk. Finally, he managed, "I do not cheat on my wife. I would never stoop so low as to cheat on my wife. That is Kikyo and myself and if the date is correct, that is the night we went out to celebrate her new promotion at work."

Jakotsu turned and faced Sesshomaru with a satisfied smile. He walked casually up to the stage and sat down next to Kagome before taking her hand in his. "Let's get the polygraph results out of the way." He said. He glanced at the card in his hand and grinned. "Kagome, when asked if you ever had sex with anyone other than Sesshomaru, you said no. The polygraph indicated that you were telling the truth. When asked if you had ever gone out on another date when you were dating Sesshomaru, you said no, and the test determined that you were telling the truth. When asked if you were working a second job during the time when Sesshomaru claims that you were out cheating on him, you said yes, and the test determined that you were telling the truth."

The crowd clapped when Jakotsu finished reading the results of the polygraph. Kagome shifted in her seat and knew that Sesshomaru was looking at her, but she would not give him the satisfaction of looking at him, especially not after he betrayed her.

Sesshomaru was stunned and from the looks on his father and friend's faces, so were they. The only person who seemed to react was Ayame.

"Big deal. It is clear that she fooled that damn machine. She is a liar and we all know it." She screeched. She could see their group of friends glance at each other and then look at her, their faces twisted into shock. They knew right then that something was not right.

She quickly shut her mouth when Sesshomaru glared at her. She slumped down in her seat and glared at the ground. This was not going the way she had wanted at all. If she didn't keep her mouth shut, she was going to lose everything that she had worked so hard for.

Jakotsu motioned for the envelope that held the results of the paternity test. Kagome already knew what it would say and she sat back in her chair, grateful that this mess was coming to an end. She stared at Jakotsu with tired eyes as he peeled away the flap and slid the contents out of the envelope.

"Sesshomaru, when it comes to one-month old, Tsukikomaru, you are the father!" Jakotsu announced grandly. He grinned when he saw Sesshomaru's father leap to his feet, his face a study in horror. Good. Let them all suffer. It was time that Kagome had some of the burden lifted from her shoulders.

Sesshomaru sat frozen. He took in a deep breath and allowed the words to sink in. He was a father and the mother of his pup, no, pups had gone through her pregnancy alone. He could not begin to imagine how hard it was for her to deal with his accusations, the name-calling, and the death of their little girl. And all along, she had been innocent. He stood up and was about to approach Kagome when Ayame grabbed his hand.

"It doesn't matter. Just pay her support and leave her be. I won't allow her to take away everything that I have worked so hard for." She growled loudly. She did not realize that Jakotsu had motioned for the audience to be quiet, and so, they had heard every word. The murmurs of "Tramp" and "Slut" began to ripple towards the stage and Ayame finally realized what had just slipped past her lips.

The audience became deathly quiet and Ayame clamped her hand over her mouth. Jakotsu could see his producer grinning. Yep, ratings were going to be sky high. Everyone watched as Sesshomaru turned towards the redheaded wolf and slowly approached her. While their attention was on the couple, Kagome slipped off the stage and headed towards the back. Suikotsu had gotten up and had met her as she stumbled off of the stage, blinded by the tears in her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and whispered, "Come on. There is a little puppy who needs his mama right now."

* * *

When they got to the green room, Kikyo had a satisfied smirk on her face and pointed to the television, which she had been watching. Kagome's reddened eyes took in the forms of Sesshomaru and Ayame and neither looked very happy. As she was about to sit down, Sango entered the room.

"Can I sit with you guys for a while? Miroku is getting on my damn nerves with his apologies." She said, her baby resting comfortably in her arms.

Kikyo grinned. She remembered Sango and liked her. "Sure. Come and watch the destruction of a vindictive little wolf." She said.

So, an angry Sango, gleeful Kikyo, pissed off Suikotsu, and a tearful Kagome watched the confrontation. It was the beginning of the end for Ayame.

* * *

"What do you mean 'everything that you have worked hard for'?" Sesshomaru asked, his golden eyes narrowed. Suddenly, it all began to make sense. Now he knew why Ayame had pushed him to end his relationship with Kagome. She had been afraid that Kagome would be able to prove to him that the accusations were false. Ayame had been the cause of all of this suffering. It had been Ayame who brought him the video, and it had been Ayame who had convinced him that Kagome was lying to him and running around behind his back. For the first time in many, many years, Sesshomaru felt like a total fool. 

Ayame glanced around nervously. She took in a deep breath and said, "I simply meant that I have worked so hard at being the best girlfriend to you."

Sesshomaru glowered down at the wolf and said, "I want you to take a polygraph test, Ayame. I want to know exactly who is lying to me and who is not. We already know that Kagome was being truthful, but now, I am not so sure of how honest you have been."

Ayame paled and took in a deep gulp of air. But, before she could attempt to talk her way out of it, Jakotsu saw an opportunity and clapped his hands. "Great idea!" He exclaimed. He motioned to a short man in a long coat. "This is Mukotsu, our polygraph expert. He would be thrilled to administer the test."

The short man nodded and leered at the wolf. "This way, please." He said, motioning to Ayame. The wolf gulped and walked off the stage, her eyes wide and she did not notice the odd little man eyeballing her backside. She could tell that her life would never been the same after they went home.

Sesshomaru took a deep calming breath and turned to look at Kagome, but was shocked to find her seat empty. He glanced around and saw his father point to the back of the stage. He needed to go to her. He needed to tell her that he had made a mistake and that the days without her had been pure agony and that he would always regret the errors in judgment that he had made.

He knew that his father and friends were right behind them and he stepped off the stage and went to the back. He glanced around and then scented the air. He was trying to pick up Kagome's scent, but could not get it. He looked over at his father, who was attempting to pick her scent up as well. But, the then looked at his son and shrugged.

"There are just too many scents. Looks like you will have to ask someone to direct you to where she is." Inu Taisho said.

Nodding, Sesshomaru looked over to see Jakotsu staring at him. "I suppose that your ratings will be good." He said, his tone dry.

Jakotsu's lips thinned and he shook his head. "I didn't do it for the damn ratings. Don't get me wrong, yes, they will be good. Excellent in fact, but I didn't do it for the ratings. I did it because Kagome is my friend. She needs closure so that she can move on. Hopefully, she will find a man one day who will love her and that beautiful pup. It is my hope that she forget all about you and what could have been had it not been for that deceitful bitch. Now, if you will excuse me. I have an audience waiting for me and a very angry young lady who is going to confront her boyfriend about his disappearing acts." He said, a grin plastered on his face. Let him suffer. He deserved it.

Jakotsu turned and walked back onto the stage. "Keiko says that her boyfriend Yusuke has been disappearing for a week at a time and she is getting tired of it. So tired that she has found comfort in Yusuke's best friend, Kuwabara's, arms. Let's welcome Keiko!" He said, giving the young woman before him a large smile.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and called over one of the production assistants. When he was told that Kagome was in the green room, he turned and began to walk. He could hear the murmurs of his friends as they whispered about how sorry they were and that they owed Kagome a huge apology, but he knew Kagome. It would take a lot more than a simple apology to get Kagome to forgive them.

Bankotsu had never felt so badly in his entire life. He had just hung up with Kagome's mother, who began to sob when she learned that she had betrayed her own daughter by not believing her. After promising to bring Kagome and the puppy home, Bankotsu hung up and looked over at Kouga.

The male wolf, too, was feeling horrible. He could hear all of the names he had called Kagome and had started several rumors about her around town. He had called her up, when he had heard that she had lost her job, and told her that it was a shame that they didn't employ whores and that she had better find someone willing to sleep with her nasty ass so that she could make some fast cash. He had hung up and laughed with his buddies, Ginta and Hakkaku. He sighed and watched as Bankotsu ran his fingers through his long hair.

"Kagome's mom is a mess. She is going to call Souta and have him come and stay with her until I can get Kagome over to her house." He said, his hands jammed in his pockets. "Damn, I should have known better. I should have known Kagome better, but instead, I let myself be caught up in Ayame's tale and now, Kagome is the one suffering for it. I should have been there to hold her when she buried her little girl."

Kouga placed a hand on Bankotsu's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "We all got played. I keep picturing Kagome holding her dying pup and it makes me sick to think that she didn't have anyone to talk to. We are going to have one hell of a time making this shit up to her." He murmured.

Sesshomaru had heard every single word and nearly collapsed to his knees. His puppy was dead. His little girl, gone. He had not wanted to see or hold her, thinking that the pup was not of his blood and now, he could not even make amends. His little girl died in her grief-stricken mother's arms and there was not a damn thing he could do to change that fact. That image of Kagome holding a pup whose head was covered with ebony locks with tiny little ears that were wilted by sickness and who looked as pale as rice paper would haunt him for the rest of his life. Shamed, he bowed his head and struggled with the tears that were threatening to spill.

Inu Taisho motioned for the others to move away. He pulled Sesshomaru into a corner and softly said, "I know that you are sorry for what has happened. I am sorry too. I saw Kagome as my own and when she needed me, and after I had promised to be her father as well as yours, I betrayed her. I told her that I had made a mistake in caring about her and that she was nothing more than the dirt beneath my feet. But, we need to put that aside and do what should have been done from the start. We will make sure that Kagome and the pup have what they need."

Nodding, Sesshomaru straightened his shoulders and continued to walk towards the green rooms. When they got to the hallway that the rooms were located in, they saw Kikyo and Suikotsu. Both seemed to be deep in conversation, so they did not notice Sesshomaru and his little group approach.

When Suikotsu finally looked at them, he nudged Kikyo and allowed her to turn. When she saw Sesshomaru, her eyes narrowed.

"What do you want? If you are here to try and finish Kagome off, you are wasting your time. We won't let you near her." Kikyo snapped, her arms crossing over her chest.

Inu Yasha snorted. "Listen, bitch. Why don't you do yourself a favor and stand aside? Sesshomaru, dad, and I want to meet the newest heir of the Taisho dynasty." He snarled.

Kikyo began to laugh. "My, my. Such language, but then again, you always did have a filthy mouth." She sneered. She turned to her husband and said, "Inu Yasha and I used to date. It was before Sesshomaru and Kagome got together. Anyways, he is still sore at me because I dumped him when I found him sleeping with Yura."

Suikotsu smirked and placed his hands on his wife's shoulders. "Kagome is not up for visitors, especially any of you." He said.

Bankotsu stepped forward. "I am going to see her. She is my cousin and I need to speak to her." He replied.

Kikyo pulled away from her husbands grip and walked over to Bankotsu. Before anyone could react, her hand flew across his face, causing his head to careen off to the side.

"How dare you!" Kikyo hissed, her eyes flashing. "How dare you stand there and act like you give a damn about Kagome. You some nerve to call yourself her cousin after the way you treated her. How in the hell can you live with yourself?"

Bankotsu grabbed his hip in an effort not to ball up his fist and plant it square in Kikyo's face. However, Kouga grabbed his arm and began to whisper for him to calm down. After a couple of minutes, he glared over at Kikyo and softly said, "That is the first and last time you will ever strike me. The next time your hand flies, so will my fist."

Suikotsu stepped in front of his wife and glared at the young man. "Try it and I will kick your ass." He snapped, his cool demeanor gone.

Inu Taisho had heard enough of the commotion and walked past the group and grabbed onto the doorknob. He entered the room and closed the door behind him. He saw the young lady who had been on stage before Kagome, sitting on the couch with a little girl in her arms. She was talking on the phone and seemed to be very agitated. He glanced down at a dark blue car seat and saw a pair of silver ears poking out from underneath the blanket. Smiling, Inu Taisho walked over and kneeled down. He pulled the blanket down and sucked in a deep breath. The scent coming from the pup was of his family. This pup was a true Taisho. He reached down and gently lifted the pup from the seat, taking care not to drop him. He moved over to one of the couches and sat down.

The pup's eyes were bright and golden, reminding his grandfather of his own eyes. He allowed the pup to grasp onto his forefinger and laughed when the pup tried to pull his finger down into his tiny mouth.

He looked up when Kagome exited the bathroom and he could tell that she had been crying. Without a word, he lifted his arm and motioned for her to come and sit beside him. She had always been a good girl and he wanted to rip off his own tail for believing otherwise.

Kagome hesitated for a moment, but then shrugged. She was so damn tired and it was nice to see Tsukikomaru bonding with his grandfather, so she walked over and sat down next to the older Taisho.

As they sat beside each other, Sango continued to talk on the phone. Every now and then, she would mention 'the dickless wonder' and Kagome could only assume that she was referring to Miroku.

Finally, the door opened and Kikyo stomped in, only to be followed by Suikotsu, Sesshomaru, and the others. Sesshomaru's eyes were trained upon the pup in his father's arms. But, before he could tell his father that he wanted to hold his own son, a young woman appeared and gave Sesshomaru a smile.

"You are needed on stage. Ayame's test results are in." She chirped. She turned and walked out the door, leaving the small group to look at each other and then look at Sesshomaru.

He did not want to leave. He had amends to make, but he also had to try and repair the damage that had been done to Kagome and humiliating Ayame was a good way to start. He sighed and glanced down at his father.

"Kikyo has suggested that Kagome be seen by a doctor to help with her depression. I would also like to see about getting her into grief counseling." He said, his golden eyes straying to the mother of his pup.

Kagome shook her head. "No. I don't want anything from you. I don't want your help, your money, your friendship, anything." She said, her voice soft but firm.

Sesshomaru pursed his lips and growled when the young woman came returned and told him to hurry. Sesshomaru Taisho did not hurry. Ever. He turned back to his father and asked, "Will you stay with her? I don't want her to be alone."

Inu Taisho ignored Kagome's huff of indignation and nodded. Sesshomaru turned to his friends and said, "Be sure to keep your eyes on the monitor. Ayame is about to receive her just desserts."

Turning on his heel, he followed the young woman down the hall and headed towards the stage. He could see Ayame sitting nervously in a chair and he sat down in the chair next to her. She gave him a teary-eyed glance and was about to say something to him, but he held up his hand and said, "We will let your test do all of the talking. Pray that you pass it."

Ayame gulped nervously, and looked down at her hands. She could tell that she was about to lose everything.

Jakotsu stepped back on stage and held a large envelop in his hands. "Let's find out the results of Ayame's polygraph test, shall we?" He asked gaily.

Ayame slid down in her seat and groaned. This was not going to be pretty.


	3. Chapter 3

Ayame watched with fear-filled eyes as Jakotsu looked down at the card in his hand. The smile upon his face told Ayame that he was enjoying her suffering a bit too much. She glanced out at the audience and bit her lip. They were all smirking and were probably hoping that Kagome would come back out onto the stage to whip her ass. Well, they were going to be sorely disappointed. Even though she was still a bit nervous about the results, she was sure that she had managed to fool the detector. She had taken several deep, calming breaths and had kept her voice even. There was no way she could have failed.

"Ayame, you were asked if you had ever lied to Sesshomaru during your nine-month relationship. You answered no, and the test concluded, that you lied." Jakotsu said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

Ayame's face paled and she shook her head, her red pigtails waving about wildly. "NO! THAT CAN'T BE!" She screamed, her face red.

Jakotsu motioned for the crowd to quiet down and then continued. "When asked if you have ever lied to Sesshomaru about Kagome, you replied no. The test indicates that you were lying. Finally, when asked if you ever cheated on Sesshomaru during your relationship, you said no, and the test, once again, indicated that you were lying." He said, his eyes twinkling.

Sesshomaru turned his head slowly towards Ayame. "You dare to cheat on me? Who was it? Who did you lay with, you mangy wolf?" He demanded, his face breaking its stoic mask and turning into an expression of rage.

Ayame gulped and slowly backed away. "Sess, the test is wrong. I told you, that test is faulty. Kagome is the one who cheated on you, not me. Please, you have got to believe me." She whined.

Standing up, Sesshomaru flexed his claws and was about to approach the wolf, but a pair of large bodyguards stepped in front of him and blocked his path to Ayame.

Ayame looked out to the crowd and said, "I swear that I didn't lie. I am not a cheater. Kagome cheated. She is the one who should be standing here, not me. Just because I accidentally caught her cousin on tape and not her doesn't mean that she wasn't fucking around."

The crowd's jeers grew louder and more aggressive. Ayame could hear the slew of names that were being thrown her way and she paled. She saw Jakotsu rush into the crowd and head for a woman who had her hand up.

"What's on your mind, sweetie?" Jakotsu asked as he placed the microphone before the young woman's mouth.

"How could you do that to that poor woman? Isn't it enough that she had to go through her pregnancy alone? Now, you want to sit up there and try and convince us that you are not a lying tramp. Get real, girl. Hell, if I were Kagome, I would be whipping your ass right about now!" The woman yelled, not caring that her friends were trying to make her sit down.

"Care to try it?" Ayame growled. The woman's eyes narrowed and she pushed past Jakotsu and began making her way towards the stage. As she walked, other audience members were yelling for her to rip the wolf's tail off and feed it to her. Just as she got to the stage, another bodyguard grabbed her around her waist and held her back.

Jakotsu rushed forward and pushed the microphone under the woman's nose. "Just because Kagome is too much of a lady to not fight you, doesn't mean that I am. You deserve to be beaten for all you put that woman and her puppies through. I hope you get what you have coming to you real soon, you psycho bitch!" She hissed.

Ayame was about to snap a reply, but another female jumped up. "How would you feel if someone did to you what you did to that poor girl? You deserve all the hell you receive." She shouted.

Ayame watched as other females jumped up and started to yell out what they had on their minds, and she slowly backed up. Never in a million years would she have imagined that this could happen to her. What if her grandpa saw this show? What would he say?

Turning, Ayame rushed off the stage and was met by a very angry Kagura. "You lying bitch." Kagura hissed. "You told me that you had seen Kagome kissing another man. You told me that you knew for a fact that she was sleeping around on Sess and laughing about it. Now, I find that you have done nothing but lie to me and all along, it was you who were cheating on Sess. Dirty whore."

Ayame backed up slowly. "Kagura, I'm sorry." She whimpered. "Yes, you are sorry, bitch. And, now you are exposed. I suppose that I could give you a beating that you would never forget, but then that might earn you sympathy points, and that is something that I don't want. You're going to get yours, girl. Believe me. By the time we get home, you are going to wish that you had never met Sesshomaru. I will see to that. And, as a way to make up to Kagome for my part in this mess, I will personally see to it that your life be as miserable, if not worse, than hers was. Wave bye-bye to everything you have ever known." Kagura replied, her red eyes glittering maliciously.

Ayame watched as the woman turned and walked away, her stiletto heels clicking as she walked. Ayame could taste the bile that had risen in her throat. She knew just how evil Kagura could be when she wanted to, and now, it looked as though she were going to get a good idea why Kagura was known as the biggest bitch in their town.

Taking a deep breath, Ayame turned and found herself staring into a very hard chest. She gulped and looked up into the stoic face of Sesshomaru.

He regarded her for a moment, and did not say a word, but for him, silence could be just as effective as if he had said something. He watched as she stepped back from him and he began to walk towards her.

"You created that video, knowing full well that the woman on the tape was not Kagome, and you used my insecurities about getting married as a weapon for you so that you could get what you wanted. You used me, and you made sure that by the time Kagome came home, I was so angry and unreasonable, that I would not listen to a damn word she said." He said, his voice low.

Ayame looked around wildly and allowed a soft whimper to escape her lips. "I swear, I didn't know that she was pregnant." She whined.

"And if you had known, you would have still followed through with your plan." He replied, his eyes narrowed and hard.

She opened her mouth to speak, but snapped it shut again. Yes, he was right. She would have followed through with it. She had been so close. She winced at the expression on his face.

"Sess, I am sorry. I'm sorry about your little girl…" Ayame started, but was interrupted by Sesshomaru.

"Don't ever speak about my pups. You do not have that right. My daughter died in her mother's arms. I should have been there to hold Kagome and our daughter, but because you had me so convinced that she had cheated and that her pups were not mine, I didn't lift a damn finger. I have to live with that for the rest of my life, Ayame. And, I blame you for this. Oh, I have some blame, but you are the one who started this. I intend to finish it. Pray for your safety that I can fix my family. If not, I will spend the rest of my life tormenting you and whatever pathetic male decides to take you on for a mate. But, be sure that you will not find anyone stupid enough in our city. I am sure that Kagura will take care of you once we get home." He said.

Ayame's mouth dropped open and she watched helplessly as he turned and walked away. Everything that she had worked for, everything that she had planned was now gone. She heard a snicker and looked over her shoulder to see Jakotsu standing in a corner.

"You know, I would really hate to be in your shoes right now. From what I hear, you are going to be having a very tough time when you go home. Good luck, bitch." He sneered. Plastering a grin on his face, Jakotsu turned and left the broken wolf to stand all alone as he went and welcomed his next guest.

Sighing, Ayame walked over to one of the couches and sat down; she needed a plan, and quick.

* * *

Sesshomaru walked to the greenroom to find Kagome curled up at the end of the couch, his father's jacket covering her, his father holding his grandson, and his friends talking quietly about how they were going to pay Ayame back for her treachery.

"I say we kick the shit out of her and be done with it." Kouga snarled. He had once liked Ayame and had held a high opinion of her, but that was long gone.

Bankotsu shrugged. "That is letting her off too easily. I think that she needs a taste of how it feels to be talked about." He suggested.

Kagura nodded in agreement. "Don't worry. What I have planned for the bitch will make what Kagome went through look like paradise." She said. "Ayame will not get away with this, I promise."

Walking over to where his father stood, Sesshomaru reached out and allowed his claw to run gently over the soft cheek of his pup. Inu Taisho smiled at his son.

"He is going to be very handsome. He is truly one of us." He said, proudly. He chuckled when the pup grasped Sesshomaru's claw and began to suckle it.

"It would appear that he needs to be fed." Sesshomaru said as he took the pup from his father. He cradled the tiny pup in his arms and walked over to Kikyo, who was glaring at the group that stood by the door.

"The pup needs to be fed." He said, his tone bored. Kikyo stood and glared up at him. "The pup has a name. It is Tsukikomaru or Tsukiko, for short. And, as for the feeding, Kagome breastfeeds." She snapped.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened and he glanced over at Kagome's still form. He could see the dark circles underneath her eyes and he really did not want to wake her up. But, the pup was becoming fussy and needed to feed.

With a sigh, Sesshomaru walked over to where Kagome lay, and he touched her shoulder. She jumped when he made contact with her body and sat up quickly. She had always been a light sleeper, and he could imagine that she was probably up quite a bit with their son.

When she had finished rubbing her eyes, she looked up at him. Her eyes held no sparkle or expression. That bothered him. He had done that. Not believing in her had caused her so much pain and though he would love to fault Ayame for all of this, he knew that he shouldered most of the blame.

"Our son needs to eat." He said without preamble. He watched as Kagome held out her arms, and he carefully handed the pup to her. Tsukikomaru was making squeaking noises that had quickly drawn all of the youkai's' attention. His father and brother smiled as they watched the pup squirm and attempt to find his mother's nipple.

Kagome reached over and grabbed a blanket. She threw it over the pup and her shoulder and then quickly pulled her breast out of its confines. Unlike Sango, who had sat down and pulled her breast out for all to see, she liked being discreet. Sango had told her, "If they don't like it, then they don't have to look."

Soft grunts could be heard as the pup began to feed. Kagome closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She winced a bit when the pups sharp little claws began to dig into the soft skin of her breast and she had to reach over and grasp his tiny hand to keep him from drawing blood.

Sesshomaru slowly lowered himself into the seat beside Kagome. He wanted to talk to her about a possible reconciliation. He wanted to make up for his abuse and neglect. Most of all, he wanted to make up for not being there for their pups.

Kikyo watched with narrowed eyes as Sesshomaru stared at Kagome. Finally, she decided that this was as good of time as any and asked, "What are your intentions?"

Sesshomaru's head shot up and he glanced at Kikyo. "My family will be well taken care of." He said.

"We are not family." Kagome whispered. Everyone's attention was suddenly on Kagome and Sesshomaru.

"We will discuss this at a time when you are rested and can think clearly." He replied. He watched as she shook her head.

"No. We won't discuss this at all. We are not a family. You made sure of that when you accused me of cheating on you without hearing my side of it. You didn't want to listen to me then, and I don't want to listen to you now." Kagome said, her tone firm.

Gathering up all the dignity that she could, Kagome stood up, her pup still attached to her breast and walked into the bathroom. She would not allow him to see her cry.

Kikyo crossed her arms and waited for the bathroom door to close. "Are you going to support your pup, or not? Kagome doesn't have much, thanks to you, and it would be nice for her to know that she is no longer doing it all on her own." She said.

Inu Taisho stepped forward. "Kagome and her pup will be well taken care of. We will move her into our home." He said.

Suikotsu shook his head. "I'm sorry, but were you not listening to her? She has said that she is not apart of your family. She doesn't want to be near you. She won't deny you access to the pup, but she wants nothing to do with any of you. Can you honestly blame her?" He demanded.

Sesshomaru stepped forward, but was held back by his father. "Fine. For right now, we will do things slowly. But, we are going to insist that she get some sort of grief counseling so that she can deal with the loss of her pup. And, I want her to see a doctor. Aside from the grief, she could also be suffering from postpartum depression. If she is, then she can get the help she needs, but a blind man can see that she is suffering." Inu Taisho argued.

"She would not be in this fucking mess if your son hadn't been a pussy and walked out on her." Kikyo snapped.

Sesshomaru could hear his father's soft growls and knew that the conversation was getting dangerous. He stepped in front of his father and looked at Kikyo.

"I will support my pup. I will also take care of Kagome. With or without her consent. I was wrong, and I admit it, and now that I know that I am a father, I will do what I have to in order to get my pup's mother back. That being said, we will leave, but not for good. Kagome will have to face me sooner or later. I am also going to want my pup this weekend for visitation. Kagome needs time to rest and catch up on her sleep, and this will allow her to do so." Sesshomaru said. He motioned for his father and friends to leave the room.

Once the door was closed, Kikyo snarled in anger, "The nerve of that guy! Can you believe him and his father? How dare they decide what Kagome needs."

Suikotsu shook his head. "Honey, at least he wants something to do with the pup. He is right that Kagome needs to be looked at for depression. She cries a lot and doesn't eat hardly anything. She stays in her apartment and won't come out without a fight. It isn't healthy." He said.

"I know. I just don't want her to hurt anymore. He has caused her enough pain." Kikyo muttered as she moved closer to her husband.

Suikotsu held his wife to his chest and winced when he heard her sob. "There, there. It will work out. This was a step in the right direction. But, you need to let Kagome decide what she will do on her own. You can't interfere." He whispered.

Nodding, Kikyo allowed him to pull her back down onto the couch and snuggled into his arms with a sigh. If only Kagome had a guy as great as hers was.


	4. Chapter 4

He sat in his chair and nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, I agree with you, Kikyo. She has been dealt a serious blow and it should never have happened. However, it has and now, she is going to have to face the fact that she will have to deal with Sesshomaru Taisho for the rest of her life." He said.

He listened as Kikyo wailed that Sesshomaru and his father were now trying to shove their way back into Kagome's life and he felt his body grow hot. It angered him that no one had told him about what was going on, and now, he had to hear all about Kagome's problems second-hand. But, as angry as he was, he would never allow Kagome to suffer alone.

"I will be in town this coming week. I will take care of Kagome. You make sure that once I make my move, Sesshomaru knows why I took the action that I am about to take." He said, his voice soft and silky.

He laughed at Kikyo's next statement and then bid her a good day. He hung the phone up and then turned to look out over the city. He heard his secretary knock and when she came in, he turned and smiled at her. When she told him to have a good night, he waved at her and watched as she closed the door.

He had so much to do and so little time to do it. He sighed reached for his phone. No time like the present to get started. By the end of the night, he sat back in his chair and had a smile across his lips. Sesshomaru Taisho was not going to know what had hit him by the time he got through with him.

* * *

One week had passed and Kagome found herself back at her tiny apartment. She had declined Bankotsu's invitation to go and see her mother, and she had also told Sesshomaru that it would be a cold day in hell before she moved in with him. He had started to call her every day since the taping of the show and had even had Kouga drive by to make sure that her apartment was safe. Now, as she tried to sleep, she could hear her tiny son in his room and he sounded hungry. Kagome opened her eyes and looked at her clock. It was nearly one in the morning and Tsukikomaru had decided that it was a perfect time for his feeding. His wails were practically bouncing off of the walls and she winced as they got louder. 

She quickly changed the pup's diaper and then settled him for his feeding. Once he had taken his fill, she placed him back in his crib and covered him with the soft blanket that Kikyo had given to him. She smiled down at the little fuzzy ears as they twitched and she could not resist reaching down and rubbing on one.

The pup stirred for a moment, but then settled down and fell back into slumber. Sighing, Kagome walked back into her room and climbed into bed. She groaned when she realized that the rent was due in the morning and she didn't know what she was going to do to cover it. She could call Kikyo, but she hated doing that, even though her cousin and husband had insisted that they would help her financially.

She turned on her side and allowed the familiar tears to gather. Every damn night, she ended up crying herself to sleep and this night was no different. Damn Sesshomaru. Damn Inu Taisho. And, most of all, damn herself for getting into this mess. If only she had listened to Kikyo and not gotten involved with the elder Taisho brother. Kikyo had warned her that his particular group was full of hypocrites and she had recounted her own failed relationship with Inu Yasha.

They had been happy. Once. Until Inu Yasha decided that he would rather play the field than be a serious boyfriend to Kikyo. He had been successful in hiding his cheating ways from Kikyo, until Yura began to run her mouth and word got back to Kikyo. She ended up confronting them at a local restaurant and at the end of the conversation, Kikyo stomped out and Inu Yasha had a plate of spaghetti poured over his head. He had apologized and Kikyo had taken him back, but a week after that initial confrontation, she had gone to his apartment to surprise him and she found him and Yura in the middle of mating. Outraged, Kikyo grabbed up the baseball bat that Inu Yasha kept beside his dresser and ended up chasing both him and Yura out of the apartment and into the street, where she told him that she had taken enough abuse and that he was now single.

He had tried on several occasions to get back with her, but she had met Suikotsu and they had hit it off. However, because he was a Taisho, Inu Yasha's indiscretion was overlooked and he had escaped humiliation due to the fact that his father had paid the police from arresting his son and Yura for being nude and in public. Kikyo had always told her that if you are a Taisho, then you can do no wrong.

Now, Kikyo was happily married and she had constantly warned Kagome against being with Sesshomaru. Too bad that Kagome had fallen head over heels in love with him. But, that was all in the past and now, she had to deal with the consequences of her actions.

She closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift, but by the time she woke up, she felt as though she had not gotten any sleep at all. She threw on her robe and slowly made her way to her pup's room. Peeking in, she saw that he was on his back and had the sweetest smile on his face. He was clearly enjoying his dreams, as he should. It was just a shame that his sister was not there, as well.

Feeling herself tear up, she took in a deep breath and gently closed the door. No more crying. It was time to move on. Keyana was dead, and she had to face the fact that she would never get to see her grow up.

Kagome stopped when she heard a knock on her front door. Groaning, she knew that it must be her landlord. The crotchety old man was forever looking for a way to get her and her pup out of his building. He didn't like infants and continued to complain that Tsukikomaru was disturbing him.

She walked to the door, steeling herself for a confrontation, and was shocked to find Jaken instead of the landlord.

The toad looked uncomfortable and he looked up at Kagome with narrowed eyes. She was about to ask what he wanted, but the toad beat her to the punch.

"Sesshomaru-Sama has asked that I bring this to you and he also wanted to let you know that your rent has been taken care of for this month. He said that on the first of every week, I am to bring this to you." Jaken said as he handed an envelope to Kagome.

Kagome took the envelope and was about to open it when she saw Jaken looking behind her.

"Yes?" She asked, curious as to what he was looking for. The toad jumped and then looked down. "I was wondering where the pup was. May I look at him?" Jaken asked, his voice soft.

Kagome stared at the toad for a moment, but then shrugged. She had no ill will towards Jaken. He, though at times rude, never insulted her nor did he participate in the attacks against her.

She motioned for him to enter and then led him down the hall to the pup's room. She placed her finger on her lips, signaling to the toad to be quiet and she pushed the door open.

Jaken walked quietly behind the woman and then stopped in front of the crib. He was just high enough to see into the crib and he saw his master's pup asleep. It was clear that the pup favored his father. Smiling, he shook his head and then hurried out of the room.

When they got to the door, Jaken turned and looked at Kagome. "I am sorry about your little girl. I can't imagine how hard it was for you." He said, his tone soft.

Kagome fought to keep her mouth from flopping open. Jaken was not known for being kind. He was well known for being an ass-kisser, but not kind. She nodded and watched as the toad let himself out of the apartment.

Shaking her head in wonder, Kagome looked down at the envelope in her hand. She opened it and had to sit down. She pulled out the contents and began to count the money that Sesshomaru had sent. By the time she was done, she had counted nearly three thousand dollars.

She didn't know what to do. If she used the money, it would give Sesshomaru the right to see Tsukikomaru. If she didn't, then her electricity and phone would be cut off and she also needed groceries.

That being the case, Kagome decided to use the money and went to get ready for the day. She took a shower and then wrapped a towel around herself. She walked into Tsukikomaru's room and found her pup bright eyed and bushy tailed.

"Good morning, my sweetheart." Kagome said, as she lifted the pup from his crib. The pup watched her with his large eyes and gave her one of his toothless grins when she set him down on the changing table. Normally, that grin meant that he had a surprise waiting for her.

Giggling, Kagome quickly changed him and then sat down in the chair to feed him. As he fed, he kept his eyes trained on his mother.

"You and mommy are going out, Tsukiko. We are going to dress you special for today." Kagome whispered as she stroked one of his soft ears. She grinned when the pup began to make whining noises at her.

When he was finished, Kagome quickly changed him and then placed him into his car seat. She carried him into her room and quickly dressed herself. When she was ready to go, she grabbed her keys and stuffed the envelope into her purse. Once she was sure that she had Tsukiko's diaper bag and her purse on her shoulder, she opened the door and then locked it behind them.

The day had been pleasant, and Kagome found that she had enjoyed herself. She paid her bills and bought enough groceries to last a while. She even had quite a bit left over and placed the excess money into her checking account.

* * *

When she returned home, she found Inu Yasha waiting on her. She grimaced when she saw him walking towards her and when he stopped, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Shrugging, Inu Yasha reached down and grabbed a hold of the car seat handle. "Dad and Sesshomaru wanted me to come and check on you to make sure that you were alright." He said, his tone gruff. "Come on. Let's get the pup and you inside and I will bring up the groceries."

Kagome huffed, and watched as he walked away. That family was just too damn pushy. She followed him up and put one of the bags down so that she could unlock the door. Once inside, Inu Yasha set the pup down and glanced around, his nose wrinkling in distaste.

She was about to snap at him, but he set Tsukiko down and went outside to grab the groceries from her car. Once they were all inside, Inu Yasha leaned against the counter and watched as she put things away.

Once she was done, he looked around and asked, "How in the hell can you live in such a place?"

"Well, when it is all you can afford, then you make due with what you have." Kagome replied, her tone sharp.

If he picked up on her tone, he didn't show it. Instead, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and then said, "Sesshomaru wants the pup to come and live with him. He went to speak with an attorney this morning about getting custody of him."

Kagome paled. "Why?" She demanded. "I am a good mother." Inu Yasha glanced up and could see the angry and hurt tears in her eyes. He bit his lip. Like most males, he really did not know what to do with a crying female. But, he took in a deep breath and said, "Look around you, Kagome. You can't give the pup the things that Sesshomaru can. Sesshomaru and our family can provide him with a future and an education."

"Leave. Just go. I don't want to hear this now. After everything you people have done to me, you are now going after my child? I have already had one ripped away from me, I will die before I let Tsukikomaru go as well." She yelled, not caring about who she was disturbing.

Sighing, Inu Yasha turned and walked to the front door. "I'm sorry, Kagome. But, if you won't do what is best for the pup, then we will." He replied and he opened the door and closed it behind him.

Kagome began to sob uncontrollably. It was not fair. She didn't do a damn thing wrong. Just because Sesshomaru had all that money, he could do what he wanted.

When she had pulled herself together, she managed to stand up and finish putting away the groceries. What she really wanted to do was call Sesshomaru and scream at him. But, she held back and decided to deal with it when it came.

She was about to go to the pup, but a knock at the door stopped her. Frowning, she hoped that it was Sesshomaru, just so she could kick him in his shins. When she opened the door, she gasped and exclaimed, "Hojo!"

* * *

His plane had landed and he and his companions were quickly escorted to his car. Once inside, he glanced at the men before him. 

"Juromaru, when we arrive, I want you to go and pack all of her clothing and personal items. Kageromaru, you will gather the pup's belongings. Goshinki, you are to be her personal guard. Nothing, with the exception of me and who I allow, will get near her. Am I understood?" Hojo asked.

All three men nodded and Hojo grinned. He had concocted the perfect way to screw Sesshomaru Taisho and claim Kagome for himself. He glanced out the window and was amazed that it was nearly sunset.

When they arrived at Kagome's apartment, he and the three men walked up the stairs and he knocked on her door.

When she opened it, Kagome exclaimed, "Hojo!" and jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Laughing, he grasped her upper arms gently and held her away from him. He gave her a critical once over and shook his head.

"Kikyo called and told me what happened. Why didn't you call, Kagome? I would have come and helped you." He said, hurt clear in his voice.

Kagome winced. "I know how busy you are. I didn't want to be a bother." She replied. She saw the three male youkai behind Hojo and watched as two of them walked past her and headed for the bedrooms.

Hojo saw Kagome watching Juromaru and Kageromaru and he said, "Kagome, Kikyo has also told me that Sesshomaru is attempting to force his will on you. So, she asked me to step in. My associates are packing yours and your son's bags and you will be flying out this evening to America."

Kagome paled. "America? Why?" She asked. Hojo grinned. "Sesshomaru won't find you or your pup. I have a feeling that soon, he will try to control you through your puppy and I won't let him do it. Now, get your purse and your puppy. We are leaving." He said.

Kagome watched as the largest of the three strange youkai bent down and grasped the handle of the car seat. She grabbed her purse and was led out of the apartment by Hojo. Once inside his car, Hojo introduced the large youkai.

"Kagome, this is Goshinki. He is now your personal bodyguard. He will watch over you while I am away on business and he will make sure that you and your puppy are well cared for." Hojo said.

Goshinki nodded at Kagome and then turned his attention to the pup. He covered the tiny infant up and leaned back as his boss and new ward talked.

Kagome told Hojo about what Inu Yasha had said. Hojo smirked. "Kageromaru will be staying in your apartment. He will be there to greet Sesshomaru or whoever else decides to pop in. By the time they figure out that you have left the country, it will be too late. They will not find you. I promise." He said, his tone gentle.

Kagome sighed and sat back in the seat. She watched as Hojo spoke with Juromaru and Kageromaru after they had placed her belongings into the trunk of the car. Once he was done, Juromaru opted to stay behind with his brother and Hojo nodded. He called out to the driver and soon, they were on the highway, speeding towards the airport.

Once Hojo had produced a passport for her, Kagome and her pup were taken to Hojo's private plane and were soon flying towards America. For the first time, Kagome felt at ease.

* * *

Sesshomaru glared at Inu Yasha. "Why did you tell her that?" He demanded, his temper nearly out of control. 

Inu Yasha whimpered as his brother's grip on his neck grew tighter. "I just wanted her to be prepared." He wheezed.

Disgusted, Sesshomaru threw the hanyou to the ground and glanced at his father. "I am going over to Kagome's apartment. She needs to know the truth." He said.

Inu Taisho glared down at his youngest son and nodded. "Yes. I can only guess how upset she must be at this moment. Really, Inu Yasha. Don't you know when to keep your mouth shut?" He demanded.

Soon, all three men were in the car and they reached Kagome's apartment within a half hour. Sesshomaru ran up the stairs and pounded on Kagome's door. He held his breath and when the door opened, he felt as though he had been kicked in the stomach.

"Where is Kagome? And, who in the hell are you?" He demanded. His father and brother had joined him at the door and were glaring at the two strange males before them.

Kageromaru chuckled. "She is out of your reach, Taisho. My boss has taken her far away from here and you will not see her or the pup again. He won't let you near her." He laughed.

Sesshomaru could feel his eyes bleed red. His fangs elongated and he was about to attack, but his father stepped in front of him.

"Young man, I am Inu Taisho and I demand to know where Kagome is." He snapped, his own fangs lengthening.

Juromaru and Kageromaru began to snicker. "Are you hard of hearing, old man? The girl is gone. Went bye-bye." Kageromaru sneered. He and his brother grinned at each other and then slammed the door.

Inu Taisho growled and was about to break down the door, but was stopped by Sesshomaru.

"Come. We will go to Kikyo. If anyone will know where Kagome has gone, she will." He said.

Inu Taisho nodded and snarled at the door once more. He heard the loud laughter and silently vowed to get even with the two men.

Once in the car, Sesshomaru instructed Inu Yasha to drive to Kikyo's home and he could not wait to question her as to where Kagome and his pup were. If they were hurt, someone would pay dearly.


	5. Chapter 5

On the way to Kikyo's home, Sesshomaru called Bankotsu and demanded that he meet them at Kikyo's place. He explained what had happened and heard Bankotsu's harsh cursing.

"Damn that woman! Why is it that she has to stick her fucking nose into everything that doesn't concern her?" He asked, and promised to meet them within half an hour.

As Inu Yasha drove, Inu Taisho berated him and blamed him for the situation that had arisen.

"If you had not slapped her in the face with a threat of taking her pup away, she would not have run. Why did you tell her a lie? You know damn well that Sesshomaru went to the lawyer's office to change his will. You had not right to go to Kagome and upset her." He said, his voice hard.

Inu Yasha cringed at his father's tone. "I only wanted to force Kagome to see that it would be in her best interest to play ball with Sesshomaru instead of fighting him on everything. She is being so damn stubborn and the pup is going to pay for it." He whined.

"It was not your business. Kagome is justified in not wanting to be around Sesshomaru. Or any of us, for that matter. What we put her through has caused some serious problems for her and it is nothing short of a miracle that she even allowed me to hold her pup at the show instead of trying to take him from me. Pray that we are able to find her and fix this mess before anything else happens, boy. You will not like the consequences of your actions should we not find her." Inu Taisho warned.

Sesshomaru did not say a word. He simply stared out into the night and wondered who would have the funds to remove Kagome this quickly. He thought about all of the friends she had mentioned to him and not one of them, at least to his knowledge, had the resources to help her leave so suddenly.

They pulled up to a two-story home and parked in the driveway. Sesshomaru climbed out of the car and watched as Bankotsu and Kouga pulled up along side of them. The look on Bankotsu's face was one of pure rage.

"So, were you told how she left town?" He asked, his hand running through his long hair. Sesshomaru noted that his hair was loose and not in its usual braid down his back, meaning that he was probably getting ready to go out when Sesshomaru had called.

"No. All we know is that a friend of hers came and got her out of the city. It looked as though she didn't have any time to pack, so more than likely, the friend will be furnishing her clothing when they get to their destination." Inu Taisho said as they walked to the door.

Sesshomaru knocked on the door and waited. They could hear the locks turning and finally, Kikyo appeared. She had a large grin on her face.

"Well, well. It would appear that you are not having a good day, Sesshomaru. Would you care to come inside and tell me about it?" She asked, her tone innocent.

Sesshomaru glared at her and walked into the house. He could hear Bankotsu whispering angrily to Kikyo, but she only giggled.

When they were all seated, Sesshomaru glared at the couple and asked, "Where is she?" Kikyo and Suikotsu looked at each other and then Kikyo replied, "Somewhere you will never find her. We have made sure that you won't touch her or her pup."

"Sesshomaru has rights as the pup's father." Inu Taisho snapped. He was starting to lose patience with this young couple, but the looks upon their faces told him that they really didn't care.

"He lost those rights when he slandered and humiliated Kagome. By the way, Kagome told me, as she was getting ready to leave, that Inu Yasha told her that Sesshomaru had seen an attorney about getting custody of the pup. Well, you might as well save your money because you are going to need every penny should you decide to search for her." Kikyo said, her tone merry. "Would you like something to drink?"

Sesshomaru growled at the young woman's question. "I want to know who took Kagome and where she is, damn it." He snapped, his calm façade now long gone.

Suikotsu stood up. "Look, honey. Sesshomaru is getting angry. Perhaps you should have offered him something to chew on since he simply isn't getting the idea that we aren't going to tell him shit." He drawled.

Kikyo snickered. "Now, now, my love. Watch your language." She scolded, giving her beloved husband a wink. Turning, she looked at Sesshomaru. "If Kagome wants you to know where she is, then she will inform you, but until then, you can go fuck yourself."

Suikotsu chuckled and hugged his wife to him, oblivious to the glares around him. "My, my. Aren't we the hypocrite this evening?" He asked, giving his wife a light kiss.

Inu Taisho stood up. "I will drag both of your ass's into court and I will have a judge make you tell us where she is." He threatened.

Kikyo and Suikotsu looked at each other and grinned. "Go ahead. Kagome's friend has already put a lawyer on notice so that if we need him, he will come. And, you won't have a legal leg to stand on. Kagome is an adult and Sesshomaru's name is not on the birth certificate, meaning that he is not viewed as the legal father. You may have the results from the paternity test, but it doesn't mean a damn thing at this moment. You lose, Taisho." Suikotsu grinned.

Standing up, Bankotsu stomped to where Kikyo stood. Suikotsu tenses up and he watched as the cousins squared off.

"Kagome's mother is worried sick. She wants to speak to Kagome and make sure that she is alright." He snapped.

Kikyo shrugged. "Too bad that she didn't feel that way a couple of months ago. You know, as her mother, she should have stood beside Kagome, no matter what was said, but instead, she turned her back on that poor woman and left her alone, just as you did. In my opinion, what you and auntie did was far worse than what these people did. You were her family and you betrayed her. So, don't come crying to me now and play the family card, because that won't fly with me." She said.

Sesshomaru stood up and shook his head. "Running away won't solve any problems. Kagome isn't healing by leaving." He said.

"No, that is where you are wrong. By leaving, she has ensured that you don't take her pup from her. She already lost one, she won't lose the other. Now, get the hell out of our home." Suikotsu demanded.

The visitors walked to the door and the door slammed behind them once they were all out. Laughter could be heard from the outside and Inu Taisho began to growl.

"Someone needs to go back in there and wipe the smiles off of their faces." He snapped. He felt a hand upon his shoulder and looked at Inu Yasha.

"Let's go back home. We can call the airports and see if maybe she was on a flight out." He suggested.

Nodding, the group climbed into their cars and headed back to Taisho Manor. Kikyo grinned as she watched them leave.

"Well, Hojo was right. Sesshomaru was positively fuming." She said, gleefully. She looked over her shoulder at her husband.

Suikotsu nodded. "Let's hope that Hojo can keep him away from Kagome for as long as he can. Thankfully, he has the power to hide Kagome, but it won't be long before Sesshomaru narrows down the field of exactly which friend of Kagome's has the money and resources to hide her away. When he finds out who has Kagome, he will be out for blood." He said.

Kikyo sighed. She walked over to her husband and placed her head on his shoulder. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for her cousin. Kagome needed all of the prayers that she could get at the moment.

* * *

Kagome's eyes widened and she gasped. Never before had she seen anything so beautiful. 

"Do you like it?" Hojo asked, leaning up against the door. He watched with hidden delight as Kagome turned to him, a smile upon her lips.

"Like it? Hojo, I love it. Is this room really Tsukikomaru's?" She asked. She could not believe how big the nursery was.

Nodding, Hojo pushed away from the door and came up behind Kagome. Wrapping his arms around her, he said, "Yes. This nursery was specially designed with Tsukikomaru in mind. Every toy, piece of clothing, and piece of furniture is his. I will make sure that both you and your pup never go without. Kagome, you are free."

Kagome turned and pressed her face into Hojo's neck. She allowed a sob to escape her throat as he wrapped his arms around her. For as long as she had known him, Hojo had never failed her. He had always been her biggest supporter and now, he was her protector.

Hojo closed his eyes as he held Kagome. She was his beloved, though she didn't know how deep his feeling ran, but she would learn, in time, that she could always depend on him.

"Excuse me, sir. The pup needs to take a nap." Kaede said as she quietly entered the nursery.

Hojo pulled away from Kagome and looked at the aging nanny. "Sorry, Ms. Kaede. We will get out of your way." He said, giving the woman a smile.

Kagome bit her lip, but allowed Hojo to lead her out of the room. "Kaede is wonderful with youkai pups. Thankfully, she agreed to come and work for us when I explained the situation. You will find that Kaede is indispensable." He said.

They walked downstairs and headed to Hojo's study. Once inside, Hojo sat down at his desk and opened a drawer.

"From this moment on, you will be referred to as Kit Yurakami." He said as he handed her several items.

Kagome cocked an eyebrow. "Ok, why am I to be referred to as Kit, and Yurakami is your last name." She said.

Hojo leaned back in his chair. "When we were younger, your grandfather used to call you 'Kitten'. Kit is short for kitten. Secondly, yes, Yurakami is my last name, which brings me to my next piece of business. Sesshomaru will be looking for you. He knows your last name and that is a large problem. So, the only way for us to keep you hidden and yet, allow you to be able to have some sort of normal life is for you to change your name. Kagome, what I am trying to say is that to protect you, I want you to take on my last name by becoming my wife. Sesshomaru cannot touch you if you are married to me. Also, besides having a wife, I would also have an heir. Tsukikomaru would inherit my company when I pass away. I can't father children due to a medical problem that has left me sterile, so this is my one chance to have a family." He explained.

Kagome listened as Hojo laid out his plan to her. She had to admit, being married would keep Sesshomaru at bay should he find her. While she was thinking about what Hojo had said, he reached back into his desk and pulled out a small box. He opened it and stood up. He walked around the desk and stood in front of Kagome.

"Have you made up your mind, or do you need some more time to think about what I am offering?" He asked, a soft smile upon his lips.

Kagome's mind went back to the conversation that she had with Inu Yasha in her apartment and she quickly made up her mind. No one was taking her puppy away from her and with Hojo's help and money, she could play Sesshomaru's game on a level playing ground.

"Yes, Hojo. I will marry you." Kagome said. Kagome didn't know it, but she had just made the first step forward in lashing back at Sesshomaru. As she watched Hojo slide the ring onto her finger, she wondered what her future would hold. It was a shame that Hojo would not be along for the ride.


	6. Chapter 6

Kagome stared out the window and sighed. It had been five long years since she had last seen her beloved Japan, and now, she was finally returning. She grinned and thought about how far she had come. It was nice to know that she would never be in the same predicament that she had been in when she had left.

A giggled made her turn her head and look over at Tsukikomaru. He was currently wrestling with Goshinki and had both Juromaru and Kageromaru cheering him on as he tickled his bodyguard mercilessly.

It was a shame that Hojo had not lived long enough to see him grow. He had been a great surrogate father and had even kept his promise and changed his will so that when he became an adult, Tsukiko would inherit his entire business.

Thinking about Hojo quickly brought down Kagome's mood. She could remember the night they had married and he had finally confessed a deep, dark secret about himself. He had tried so hard, but could not consummate the marriage. It was then that he sat down and told Kagome that though he loved her, loved her so much that he would marry her and give her everything that her heart desired, he could not give her intimacy. On their wedding night, Hojo confessed that he preferred men to women. Oh, he had tried to be intimate several times with women, trying to prove to himself that he was not gay, but in the end when he held the woman he loved in his arms, his body refused to react and he had to face the facts.

He had become her greatest protector and though he could not love her physically, he loved her in every other way. He had educated her on how to act in the high society that he was accustomed to and he had made sure that she knew his business both inside and out. When she had reached a level in his tutelage that he felt she were capable of having some responsibility in the company, he began to give her small projects to work on. After the second year of their marriage, Kit Yurakami had taken over the vice presidency of Yurakami Tech, and made her husband proud. She had gained the reputation for being merciless and vindictive in the boardroom and she greedily basked in her peers' fears of going up against her. Hojo had once told her that she could probably take on Sesshomaru and Inu Taisho in the boardroom and win.

But, the day when his heart finally found a companion came and he had quietly approached her with the news. He had long ago told her that he would not be upset if she were to take a lover and he had made it clear that he, too, was going to look. He had grown comfortable in his homosexuality and often surrounded himself with men who would respect his need to give off the appearance of a family man and loving husband to Kagome.

At first, she had tried her best not to be hurt when he would go out with other men, but he had then found Hiro, and the young man was just so personable that she could find no reason not to like him. In fact, Hiro had started to come to the house after work and would spend time with her and Tsukikomaru until Hojo would come home. She found that he was like her in many ways and that he was content to stand in the background with Tsukiko while she and Hojo dazzled the public.

But, after Tsukiko's third birthday, Hojo and Hiro decided that they needed a vacation. They had invited her to go along, but she had winked and said, "If I go, who will keep everyone in line at the company? Go and have fun. Bring me home a present."

The men had laughed and hugged her before running off to pack. By this time, she held nothing but affectionate feelings for Hojo and looked at him as an older brother. Their marriage, in private, may have been fake, but their affection for one another was not. So, before they left, Hojo softly kissed her lips and hugged her tightly.

"Goodbye, little one. You are fully in control of the company and I will call you when we arrive at the hotel." He said, giving her a bright smile. She returned the hug and watched as Hiro blew her a kiss and patted Tsukiko on the head. Hojo lifted the little pup into his arms and nuzzled his cheek with his nose. He told Tsukiko to be a good, little puppy and he would get a present when he returned.

It was nearly three in the morning when Goshinki entered her bedroom. He was the only one of the bodyguards who were allowed to enter her private domain, and when he awoke her, she was immediately on guard.

"What it is? Is it Tsukiko?" She asked as she reached for her robe. Goshinki stopped her from moving and he gave her a sad shake of his head.

"Kit, I want you to hold my hands and don't let go, ok?" He asked. He took in a deep breath and then said, "I'm sorry, Kit. He's gone."

Kagome cocked her head to the side. "Who is gone? Goshinki, have you been in Hojo's imported wine again?" She demanded.

The large man shook his head. "Kit, Hojo's plane went down as they were crossing the ocean. There is no way that anyone survived. I'm sorry, honey. Hojo is dead." He softly said, his eyes betraying his attempt to hold himself together.

Her body had gone ice cold. Then, when his words finally began to sink in, she screamed and tried to yank away from Goshinki.

The entire household had been awoken by the mistress's screams and Kaede quickly offered to call the family physician. She also kept Tsukikomaru away from the room and herded him back into his bed.

Goshinki had brought Kagome into his arms and was slowly rocking her when Dr. Myoga arrived. The elderly man was informed of what had happened and he, too, felt grief over the loss of not only a patient, but also a friend.

She had been sedated and had stayed in bed for nearly three days before she was able to function. Hojo was gone and she was alone. Again. This time, she was a widow.

When the memorial service for Hojo took place, Kagome spoke about her husband in an affectionate way. Before she stepped down, Kagome spoke about Hiro and proclaimed him to have been Hojo's closest friend and confidant. She would not betray either man by spreading around that they had been lovers. Instead, she portrayed Hiro as though he were a member of the family and ended her speech by stating that both men were good men who loved life and would be missed. By the time she had made it to where Goshinki and Tsukiko were sitting, she was sobbing and Goshinki had to help her sit down.

The reading of the will had been surprising. Hojo had left her everything, much to the dismay of his sister. She had wanted him to leave her money, but he had once told Kagome that he would not allow her to use his money for her unsavory habits. She had stood up and yelled at Kagome that she was a greedy bitch and that she had turned Hojo against her. Goshinki escorted the screaming woman out of the house and that had been the last time anyone had seen or heard from her.

Now, as she turned her attention back to the window, she took in a deep breath. Hojo would have wanted her to be strong. She was returning to Japan with a mission. She was going to pay Sesshomaru and all of his cronies back for ruining her pregnancy and life. The prospect of seeing his jaw drop when she appeared before him caused her to chuckle and she could only imagine what he would say when he learned that she had figured out a way to gain control of his father's company. He had lost his precious corporation and didn't even know it yet.

Revenge was sweet and Kagome was about to deliver the blow that would knock Japan's business world right off of its axis.

She heard the captain of the plane announce that they would be arriving at Tokyo's airport within minutes and to fasten their seatbelts.

Grinning, Kagome fastened her seatbelt and took in a deep breath. Finally, all of her dreams were about to come true.

* * *

Sesshomaru could not believe it. That damn woman, Kit Yurakami, had somehow gained the proxies that he had needed to gain full control over his board of directors. He had heard about Kit Yurakami and knew that she was a woman who cared for nothing but success.

He had growled viciously at Jaken, who had announced that Kit Yurakami had demanded a meeting with him and his people. She was obviously going to wave those proxies in his face. Well, he had a surprise for her. He would not go down without a fight. He, too, had a reputation for being cutthroat in business and she would find out that it was not wise to fuck with Sesshomaru Taisho.

His father had tried his best to gain information on Mrs. Yurakami, but had turned up nothing. It was clear that her husband, Hojo Yurakami, had not wanted people to know about her and he had been saving her as his secret weapon. Well, she could bring her best to the table. It would not be enough.

He turned his attention to a picture on his desk. He leaned over and picked it up. He studied it for several minutes and then sighed. Gods, how he missed her. He had made the greatest mistake of his life and she had paid dearly for it.

Kagome. His Kagome had left Japan not only because of what he had done, but also because of what his foolish brother had told her. His people could not find a trace of her and it hurt him to know that she was out there, thinking that he had betrayed her, yet again.

He had managed to retrieve a picture of her and Tsukikomaru. He had also acquired a tape of Jakotsu and from the picture of Kagome and Keyana that appeared on the screen, he had hired a painter to paint a large portrait of mother, son, and daughter. It was hanging in his living room and was the last thing he would look at when he returned home at night.

His phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He picked up the phone and listened as Jaken babbled for a couple of minutes. Finally, he said, "Good evening, Rin. I trust that your day at school went well."

He listened as the little girl talked for several minutes and then excused himself, promising that he would be home by the time she got ready for bed. When he hung up, he reached for his briefcase and summoned Jaken into his office.

"It is late. Make sure that I have the files for that damn meeting on my desk by nine a.m." He commanded.

Jaken nodded and followed his employer out the door. He closed the door behind him and watched as his boss climbed into the elevator. When he was out of sight, the toad breathed a sigh of relief. Until this meeting with that bitch, Kit Yurakami was over, his boss would be in a horrible mood. He could not wait to see his lord wipe the floor with that arrogant woman. What a sight that would be.

Humming a cheerful tune, Jaken tidied up the office and pulled the files Sesshomaru requested. It would be an interesting meeting, indeed.

* * *

Kikyo held her breath and then squealed with delight. She waved wildly and pushed past the people who were standing in front of her to get to her beloved cousin.

"Kagome!" She cried. She opened her arms and wrapped them around her cousin. "I am so glad that you have come home."

Kagome laughed. "It's good to see you again, Kikyo. How is Suikotsu?" She asked as she looped her arm through Kikyo's.

Kikyo chattered away about how well her husband's practice was going and that he had been named as one of the top doctors in Tokyo. He had decided to specialize in children's illnesses and had gained recognition for one of his papers on a debilitating disease that effected the immune system.

When she finally stopped for breath, Kikyo looked down to the small puppy eared little boy who was now grasping his mother's hand.

"And who might you be?" Kikyo asked as she bent down to look at the boy in his eyes.

Tsukikomaru stared at Kikyo for a moment and then began to sniff her. When he decided that he liked her scent, he replied, "My name is Tsukiko and I am five years old." As he spoke, his cute, little ears began to wiggle causing Kikyo to burst into laughter.

"My goodness! Tsukiko, I have not seen you since you were a tiny puppy. You are a very handsome little guy. I bet that you have lots of girlfriends." Kikyo teased.

Tsukiko made a face and turned to bury his face into his mother's skirt. Kagome laughed. "You have to excuse him. He thinks that girls are yucky." She explained.

Goshinki nodded. "Tsukiko is more interested in rough-housing with us guys, aren't you, boy?" He asked.

Tsukiko turned to look at his bodyguard and then launched himself into the tall youkai's legs. It was clear that Tsukiko loved the male, and the male seemed content to take care of him.

"I see that the bodyguard has turned into a nanny." Kikyo whispered. Kagome chuckled. "Don't let Goshinki hear you say that. He says that he is simply a male figure in Tsukiko's life, but he acts like a mother hen. Not even Kaede has as much luck with Tsukiko as Goshinki does." She replied.

The cousins continued to chat as they picked up the luggage. Kagome had made sure that a limo was waiting on Tsukiko, Goshinki, and the others.

"Go on to the hotel. I am going to ride with Kikyo." Kagome said. When the others left, Kagome turned to Kikyo.

"Ok, you said that there have been major developments, so spill it already." She demanded.

Kikyo grinned. She had been in touch with Kagome over the years and knew that she was going by the name, Kit Yurakami. She was also aware that Kagome had now focused her sights on Sesshomaru's company, the company that her late husband was about to attack.

"Inu Yasha is no longer part of Sesshomaru's company. In fact, after you left, Inu Taisho threw him out of the manor and removed him from his will. From what I have heard, they blame Inu Yasha for you leaving." Kikyo explained.

Kagome snorted. "Yeah, and they probably think that they didn't have a damn thing to do with it. What a joke. Of course, they had to find a new scapegoat, and Inu Yasha became it after I left." She grumbled.

"Yep. But that is not all. Grandfather came home and heard about what happened. We all know that he was not pleased with you dating Sesshomaru, but he had accepted it, well, he heard about what Bankotsu and your mother did to you and he has forbidden them to step foot onto the shrine grounds. Basically, he threw your mother out of his house and she had to move in with Souta." Kikyo said.

Kagome bit her lip. Sure. She was still very angry with her mother. No matter what Tsukiko ever did, she would never turn her back on him. Ever. But, it still bothered her to hear that her mother had lost the only home she had ever really knew. Perhaps a visit to grandfather might be in order.

As they drove, Kikyo told Kagome about what had happened with Ayame. The female wolf had returned from the show and had been confronted by several people on the street about what she had done. Apparently, Kagura had kept her word and had begun a campaign to ruin Ayame's life. After being assaulted several times, Ayame decided that she would move out of Tokyo and moved to Okinawa, but just like Tokyo, she faced ridicule and scorn wherever she went.

Sesshomaru had also gone after her. He had been paying her grandfather's rent and decided to quit paying, so her grandfather ended up losing his home. He had learned what had happened and ended up disowning her. He simply could not believe that she could do such a thing, but he had seen the proof and that had been enough for him.

The women pulled up to a stoplight and were laughing at a joke that Kagome had learned. They did not notice the sleek black car pull up next to them, nor did they notice the driver's jaw drop in shock when he saw Kagome.

They drove off when the light turned green, and left the black car behind. Sesshomaru could not believe his eyes. He quickly pressed down on the accelerator and tried his best to catch up with the car, but it had disappeared. He growled viciously.

It had been her. He knew it was her. Kagome. His Kagome had been in that car. He would have known that smile anywhere.

Now that he had seen her, he would have his people looking for her. He would find her and bring her and their puppy home. Finally, the end of his misery looked close and he would not rest until his female was safe in his arms and in his bed.


	7. Chapter 7

Kagome sighed and stretched in the large bed. She had arranged for her entourage to stay at Tokyo's most prestigious hotel and she was very happy with the accommodations. Goshinki, however, was not.

"Kit!" Goshinki growled, stalking into her room and not even blinking an eye at her nudity. "You have got to do something about that nanny of Tsukiko's. She won't let me teach him proper defense techniques."

Kaede's soft voice replied, "I won't let you teach him because he is not old enough for such things. When he is older, then we will talk. Good morning, Kagome."

Kagome grinned. Out of all of them, Kaede was the only one who called her by her real name. She watched as the elderly nanny came into the room and glared up at Goshinki with her one good eye.

"Tsukiko is a inu hanyou. His instincts will keep him safe for now. Besides, with you around, why would he need to defend himself?" Kaede argued.

"She's got you there, Goshinki." Kagome said. Goshinki muttered something about women flocking together and then stormed out of the room.

"If he had his way, that boy of yours would be a trained assassin before he gets to high school." Kaede said, her tone dry.

Kagome watched as the woman turned and left the room. Suddenly, the thought of confronting Sesshomaru at the board meeting later that morning popped into her head and she began to get excited.

Sesshomaru was going to be surprised to see her stroll into the boardroom and tell all of those pompous asses the new facts of their lives. She could just see him growling as she presented the group with the proxies that gave her control over the company. Oh, she knew that he knew about a few of the proxies, but what he didn't know was that she had managed to talk to old Totosai and agreed to buy the old youkai out. He had said that he was too old and too tired to mess with the business anymore, and he had happily set his price.

Normally, she would have finagled the price down a bit, but Totosai was a sweet old man, though a bit scatterbrained, and she really did not see a point of try to screw the old male, so she paid his price and now had Sesshomaru's balls right in the palm of her hand.

The thought of seeing that arrogant male silent with shock made Kagome leap out of her bed and dart into the bathroom. She studied herself in the mirror as her shower water began to warm.

Hojo had once said that she was the most perfect female he had ever seen. But, since he was gay, she had to wonder exactly how many women he had actually looked at. Still, it had been a nice compliment and she did admit that with all of the pampering that she had received, she developed into a very nice-looking woman.

She quickly showered and then wrapped herself in a thick, fluffy towel. She made her way to the closet and selected her outfit for the meeting. When they had married, Hojo had insisted that Kagome be specially fitted with clothing that would flatter her, and so, she had met Nazuna, an up and coming designer. With her help, Kagome's wardrobe was the envy of many people in their social class. She had just acquired three new suits the day that Hojo had died.

She chose a black pantsuit that had a white top that went underneath the black jacket. She carefully did her makeup and then twisted her hair up into a simply twist. Finally, she grabbed her purse, and slipped on her heels. When she was done, she glanced in the mirror.

Yep. She looked just as intimidating here as she did back home. Grabbing her briefcase, Kagome strolled to the phone and called her driver. The man was already waiting on her and she turned to Goshinki. "I do not want Tsukiko to go anywhere until I return. I will give you a call when I am on my way back and then we will go out to lunch." She said.

Goshinki nodded and watched as Kagome walked to the door. Tsukiko was with Kaede, and he took that opportunity to say, "Hojo would have been proud of you. But, I can't help but wonder if this is a good idea. Kit, the Taishos are known for their business savvy and they don't play fair when it comes to money."

Kagome grinned. "Don't worry about me, Goshinki. I have a secret weapon that they won't expect. I will see you later, ok?" She asked.

When the huge youkai nodded, he reached over and opened the door for his mistress. When she was gone, he shook his head and thought, 'The shit is going to hit the fan.'

Kagome walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the elevator car to come to her floor. Seeing how she was on the top, it would probably take a few minutes. A smirk came to her lips as she recalled what Kikyo had told her about what had happened with Inu Yasha.

Seems the Taisho's have a way of alienating those they feel have outlived their usefulness. What a waste.

When the car arrived, Kagome waited for the driver to open the door and then climbed in. Once she was settled, she allowed a smirk to cross her features and said, "Hello, Inu Yasha."

* * *

Sesshomaru glared at the people before him. He could not believe that his board was filled with spineless insects. In fact, it had been Hiten who warned him about keeping his father's advisors around. It would seem that Hiten had been right.

"Kit Yurakami is not someone to be trifled with. She has brought down many corporations and did it with a song in her heart. We all know why she wants this company. She wants to shred it apart and then sell what is left to the highest bidder." Hiro exclaimed, his hand running through his hair.

"I agree. We should give her what she wants so that she will walk away." Sunyi said, nodding her head.

Hiten and Kouga snorted. "If we give that bitch an inch, she will take a whole damned mile." Kouga growled.

Bankotsu nodded. "The only way to deal with a ball-buster like her is to hit her head on. Sesshomaru, I don't think that you should deal." He said.

Sesshomaru nodded and glanced at his father. "I won't deal with the likes of Kit Yurakami. She needs to be taken down a peg and shown that she should not mess with her betters." He said, his eyes narrowing.

Inu Taisho knew better than to try and talk his eldest out of something he had decided. He sighed and sat back. "Kami help us all if she is able to pull a rabbit out of her hat. She is well known to use underhanded tactics to get what she wants, and son, she wants this company." He said.

"She won't get it, sir. We will make sure of that." Hiten said. He glanced over at Kagura and Yura. "Did you two find anything out about her? Anything at all?"

Yura closed her eyes. "Um, no. But, we did find out that Hojo Yurakami was the one who was going to come after the company, originally. But, he ended up dying, so it could be that she is going after Sess because of him." She said, her eyes turning to look at Sesshomaru adoringly.

Kagura rolled her eyes. "As far as we can tell, she has no real vested interest in this company. So, as Yura said, it has to be for her late husband." She added.

"I see." Sesshomaru said. He glanced down and checked his watch. The bitch would arrive within a couple of minutes. He straightened his tie and sighed. "Gentlemen, today, we will be taking down the American bitch whom has defeated many men. Watch as I take her down a peg or two."

Suddenly, the phone rang, and Kagura answered it. She nodded and then hung up the phone. She looked up at Sesshomaru and said, "She's here."

Sesshomaru nodded and stood up. There was no sense in not showing good manners. When the door opened and Yuka appeared, she smiled and said, "Right this way, Mrs. Yurakami."

Sesshomaru and the rest of the room was quiet when she entered. She had a bright smile that turned into a smirk when she saw Sesshomaru.

"It is nice to see you again, Sesshomaru." Kagome said, her eyes narrowing in a silent challenge. "I believe that you know my associate."

Kagome moved off to the side and Inu Yasha entered. He was wearing a black business suit and had his hair pulled back. His ears flattened when he saw his father.

"Father." Inu Yasha snarled, his fangs gleaming from the overhead lights. He took Kagome's arm and with the entire room watching, he led her to her chair and pulled it out for her.

Kagome did not waste any time in gaining control of the meeting. "Gentlemen, as you know I am here to basically steal your company away from you. I don't have the patience to do it through negotiations, so I did it another way. I have the proxies needed to gain control and guess what? I want you out." She hissed.

Sesshomaru recovered from his shock and sat down. He leaned back in his chair. He could hardly believe what he was seeing and judging from the looks on everyone else's faces, they could not believe it either. Finally, he took in a deep breath and said, "Kagome, you do not have all of the proxies. Totosai would never part with his."

Kagome shook her head. "Totosai may not have given his proxy to you, but then again, you don't have a great pair of legs and a pair of breasts. Totosai's greatest weakness is beautiful women and when I explained why I wanted his proxy, he named his price. Normally, I would have bartered him down, but this was a special occasion and so, I said what the hell." She said as she reached into her briefcase and pulled out the proxies. She shuffled through the papers and finally produced the one from Totosai. "By the way, Totosai said that he would send you a postcard from the Caribbean. It seems that he has waited his entire life to go on a luxury cruise, and now, he has the chance. Isn't that nice?"

Sesshomaru stared at the piece of paper before him. Sure enough, Kagome had been telling the truth. He glanced up at her, and took notice that she was grinning with pure glee. "You have not won, Kagome. This is not over. Not by a long shot." He growled.

Kagome waved her hand in the air. "Whatever. But, I could not have done it without Inu Yasha's help. After all, he was one of the three who knew where Totosai lived and knew what his weaknesses were and he told Kikyo about him and of course, she told me. Inu Yasha was kind enough to speak with me last night and tell me what to expect here today." She replied. She gathered up the papers and stuffed them back into her case. "Wasn't that nice of him?"

Sesshomaru cocked his head to the side. "If you are here, then Tsukikomaru must be here as well. Where is my son, Kagome?" He asked, his tone low and dangerous.

Kagome's body grew rigid. Well, she had known that he would probably ask. She straightened up and glanced over at him.

"Tsukiko is fine, Sesshomaru. He is safe. Now, let's talk about how I am going to dismantle this company." She said, changing the subject.

Sesshomaru was not having it. Instead, he stood up and walked over to where Kagome stood. His hand snapped around her wrist and he said, "If you will excuse us. The mother of my pup and I need to speak. In private."

He pulled Kagome from the room while she protested and then shut the door behind them. Inu Yasha was leaning back and grinned when his father glared over at him.

"How could you do this to us?" Inu Taisho demanded. He saw his youngest son shrug. "How could you toss me out of the family for an honest mistake? Well, at least Kagome knows that I was misinformed and she has forgiven me for my big mouth. She and I are square, but it will be a cold day in hell before she forgives any of you fuckers." Inu Yasha replied.

The room grew quiet and Inu Yasha smirked. Finally, he had made his father notice him and for once, saw him as a possible threat. Leaning back in his seat, he never took his eyes off of his father and noticed that the old man looked worried. Well, he should be. Kagome was about to rip away his and Sesshomaru's security blanket. What was that old saying? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

* * *

Sesshomaru dragged Kagome down the hall and into his large office. He closed the door and then locked it. He deposited the angered woman on the sofa and then closed the blinds to block out the sun.

Kagome huffed and then glanced around the room. Hanging on a far wall was a large painting of Sesshomaru, their pups, and…her. She felt the familiar longing in her heart for her little girl, but managed to keep her tears at bay.

"What do you want, Sesshomaru? It is not polite to just walk out of a meeting like that." She said, her voice a bit unsteady.

Sesshomaru perched on the corner of his desk and peered down at her. "I would never have taken our pup from you. You should have given me the chance to explain before you ran of to Kami knows where." He said.

Kagome snorted. "Kind of like how you gave me the chance to defend myself against the accusations that I cheated on you?" She asked. She watched as his lips thinned and he sighed.

"I have no excuse for how I treated you. All I can say is that I apologize and that I do wish to be a part of our pup's life. What I cannot do for our little girl, I can do for Tsukikomaru." Sesshomaru replied.

Kagome bit her lip. Goshinki had once told her that as Tsukiko ages, he will want his father. Even now, the pup continually asked about his daddy and she was running out of answers.

Sesshomaru watched as Kagome delved into her thoughts. He silently moved to kneel down beside her and he took her hands in his. She immediately snapped to attention and just as he was about to open his mouth, his nose informed him just how married she had been.

"He never touched you, did he?" He asked, already knowing the answer, but wanted to hear her say it.

Kagome turned white. "How dare you?" She hissed, and reared her hand back. Before she could slap him, he caught her wrist and held it firmly.

"Kagome, if you had mated with him, my scent would have been replaced with his. When a male spreads his seed, the female is marked with his scent and the male will know if she has been unfaithful to him if her scent changes. My scent is still on you and that means that you never consummated the marriage with Hojo." He explained. "So, which one of you could not go through with it? You or him?"

Kagome yanked her wrist away from him and turned her back to him. "That is none of your business. Nothing about me is any of your business." She said, her lower lip trembling. Damn him and his sharp nose.

"Oh, but I beg to differ. You are the mother of my pup and soon to be my mate. You are my business and so help me, Kagome. You will be part of my family." Sesshomaru whispered.

He dipped his head and began to kiss her neck. At first, she began to struggle, but after a couple of minutes, her head fell to the side and he heard a soft moan. His lips moved up to her ear.

"Yes, I know how much you need me. Your body is already telling me how prime you are to mate with me and all I have done is kiss your neck. Can you imagine what would happen if I were to go further with my attentions?" He purred, his hand slowly making its way to her breast.

Kagome's eyes popped open and she realized, with horror, what had nearly happened. It was as though she were nineteen again. She stiffened and then slapped his hands away from her.

"Listen to me, Sesshomaru. I am not the same woman that I was when I left here. I came here to collect your company, and I have done it. Now that my business is complete, I will be leaving again." She said, her tone hard and unyielding.

Sesshomaru smirked. "That is what I love about you, Kagome. You are so damn eager to play, but you forget to cover all of your bases. Totosai did hold a large proxy, but his ex-wife also held a proxy and she was more than willing to give it to me. So, as you can see, we are once again on even ground." He said. He walked to his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Kagome.

Kagome glared at the sheet and then glared at Sesshomaru. "Don't look so smug. This is not over, Taisho. I will make sure that by the time I am done with you, you lose everything that you hold dear." She seethed. Turning on her heel, Kagome stormed over to the door and yanked it open. When she was gone, Sesshomaru's smile faded and he whispered, "But, I already have."


	8. Chapter 8

By the time Kagome and Inu Yasha made it down to the car, she was ready to erupt. Once they were driving away from the large building, Kagome turned to glare over at Inu Yasha.

"Why in the hell did you not tell me that Totosai has an ex-wife who happens to also have a proxy?" She demanded.

The hanyou looked stunned for a moment, but then let a grin crack his lips. "Wait, Sesshomaru told you that he has a proxy from Totosai's ex-wife?" He asked. He wanted to make sure that his facts were straight before he collapsed into a ball of laughing hanyou.

Kagome's stormy gaze grew darker and she managed to reply, "Yes, he did. He showed me the fucking thing."

Inu Yasha quickly lost all humor when he heard Kagome cuss. In all the time that he knew her, she had never allowed one single foul word to cross her lips. Clearly, she was beyond angry.

"Ok, calm down, geez. First of all, the proxy that Sesshomaru has is probably a copy of the one Totosai gave to you. See, in their divorce decree, Kaguya wanted that proxy, but Totosai held his ground and showed her some very pretty pictures of herself and his former business partner, Kajinbo, in a compromising position. He did agree to give her the proxy if he should pass away, but she would be screwed if he ever decided to sell it because her copy would be worthless and to appease her, he made a copy of his proxy. Now that Totosai has sold his proxy to you, the copy that Sesshomaru has is basically worthless." Inu Yasha explained. He leaned back in his seat and watched as Kagome relaxed, but not much.

"How in the hell do you know so much about Totosai?" Kagome asked. The hanyou shrugged and replied, "That's easy. I am the only one that he would talk to. He and my father had a falling out about three hundred years ago, and he has never liked Sesshomaru, but because of my mom, he took to me and we grew close. When he married Kaguya, I warned him that she was nothing more than a gold-digger, but he liked the fact that she was young and pretty, and he spoiled her, but when they divorced, he really put the screws to her and managed to wiggle out of paying alimony to her. When he wants to be, Totosai is really sharp."

Kagome sighed and looked out the window. She bit her lip and recalled what happened in Sesshomaru's office. Damn, damn, damn. She had shown weakness in front of her enemy and now, he would try and exploit it. Well, he was in for the shock of his life. She would not be taken down by a few measly kisses. But, she had to wonder if it was true what he said about knowing that she and Hojo had not slept together.

"Inu Yasha, is it true that a youkai can smell if a female had mated with anyone else?" She asked, her dark eyes trained upon her companion.

Inu Yasha studied her for a few minutes and then sighed. "Yeah. It's true, but there is one exception to that though. If the male used a barrier, like a condom, then there would not be any scent left behind except for what is on the skin. For example, you still have Sesshomaru's scent on you because you two mated and he spilled his seed within you. If you were to have mated with Hojo, then his scent would have replaced Sesshomaru's. But, now take Ayame. See, I knew that Ayame was screwing around on Sesshomaru and the male that she was fucking was Naraku. Now, he isn't stupid and he wore a condom because he didn't want to get on Sesshomaru's bad side, but that is why Sesshomaru never smelled another male on the wolf." He explained.

"If he has such a sharp nose, then why couldn't he smell that I hadn't slept with anyone?" She demanded.

Shrugging, Inu Yasha said, "Look, when a youkai believes that it has been betrayed, there is no reasoning with it. And, if you will remember, the night he left your apartment in a rage was the last time you two were near each other. Kagome, if you had come near him after he calmed down, he would have smelled the paternity of your pups, but Ayame and the rest of us kept him so angry that he believed the worst of you. For that, I am sorry. If I could take it back, I would."

Kagome bit her lip once again and looked outside the window. She honestly believed him. Inu Yasha was not a being that could easily hide what he really felt nor did he apologize, so this had been sincere.

The silence loomed heavily between the two occupants of the vehicle, but then Inu Yasha burst out, "Can I see my nephew?"

Kagome's eyes flew wide open and she stared at the male beside her. He looked uncomfortable and a little anxious. He looked up and huffed. "Look, he is an inu hanyou, just like me. He is going to need someone to be there who understands when human pups and full-blooded youkai pups tease him for not being like them. And, it will give me closure for my part in what happened with you."

Before she could answer, the car stopped and she realized that they were sitting in front of the hotel. Taking in a deep breath, she narrowed her eyes. "If I let you see him, you don't tell Sesshomaru or anyone else where we are. And, you don't use my son to taunt Sesshomaru."

Nodding, Inu Yasha opened the door and helped Kagome out. Together, they walked into the lobby and headed for the elevator. As they approached the top floor, Inu Yasha began to fidget. He "kehed" at her when he caught her watching him and took in a deep breath.

When Kagome opened the door, Inu Yasha stepped inside and looked around nervously. He listened as Kagome called out for Tsukikomaru and was suddenly tackled by a small white blur.

"Mama, guess what Goshinki and I did to nanny Kaede. We kept moving her remote control when she wasn't looking and now, she thinks that our rooms are haunted." Tsukiko yelped, his tiny ears wiggling in his excitement.

It did not take long for the pup to notice Inu Yasha. "Look at him, mama. He has ears just like me. And he has yellow eyes." He said and then stood up and walked over to where Inu Yasha stood.

Inu Yasha watched as the pup sniffed him and then grinned. "He smells like me, mama." Tsukiko announced, happily. "That means that you are my daddy!"

Kagome paled. "No, Tsukiko. Inu Yasha is your uncle." She explained. Inu Yasha's expression surprised her. His eyes were soft and he kneeled down to the pup's level.

"Your mother is right. I am your uncle. Uncle Inu Yasha. We smell alike because we share the same youkai blood." Inu Yasha explained.

Tsukiko grinned. "I liked my Hojo daddy." He said. "But, he had to go away and mama says that he is in heaven. Is my other daddy nice?"

Inu Yasha had to bite his tongue to stop telling the pup exactly what he thought of his biological father. Instead, he smiled and patted his head. "If your mom will be so kind as to get us lunch, I would like to see your room." He announced.

Tsukikomaru grabbed onto his uncle's hand and began to lead him down the hall, chattering away about anything and everything on his mind. Kagome grinned and was about to order room service when Goshinki appeared.

"Don't bother ordering anything. I ordered pizza. I figured that you would not want to eat out." He said. When Kagome nodded, he said, "I heard you introduce Tsukiko to his uncle. That was a good thing that you did. Your pup will need someone to help him understand that there is nothing wrong with being hanyou and who better to do that than another hanyou?"

Kagome smiled up at the large youkai and then watched him leave the apartment to wait for the pizza. When she heard laughter coming from Tsukiko's room, she picked up the phone and dialed Sesshomaru's office. It did not take long for her to be connected with him.

When he picked up, Kagome said, "Hello, Sess. Let's talk about that proxy of yours and what you are going to do to keep me from steamrolling you right out of that plush office of yours."

* * *

Sesshomaru was not having a good morning. After Kagome's departure, all hell had broken loose and his father was the leader of the mob that had decided to question him.

"Well? What did she have to say?" Inu Taisho thundered. His long hair had come loose from its usual ponytail and it was clear that his claws had run through it quite a bit in his nervousness.

"Kagome was told about the proxy that I retained from Kaguya. She was not happy and I can almost bet that the next time we meet, she will be looking to collect my head, but I don't expect that to happen anytime soon." Sesshomaru replied.

Bankotsu slid down in his chair and loosened his tie. Kagome had changed. A lot. And from the looks of things, she was not going to give any kind of inch. He looked out the large window and thought about Kagome's mother. She and Souta were not getting along and it would probably be soon when the young man asked his mother to find other accommodations. More than likely, she would end up at his home. Oh, joy.

Kouga glared down at the papers in front of him. Damn it. He had really wanted to see Kit Yurakami go down in flames, but now that he knew that Kit was really Kagome, he was having a hard time with his loyalty. On one hand, he wanted Sesshomaru to keep control of this company. After all, he was a top executive and made great money. But, on the other hand, Kagome was finally getting her revenge and he knew that they all deserved it.

Kagura smirked. So, Kagome had finally come out of her shell and learned how to play ball with the big boys. Good for her. Men as powerful as Sesshomaru did not want a woman who was a shrinking violet. They wanted women who were not afraid to be a bitch when the situation called for it and knew how to use what they had to get what they wanted. Kagome wanted Sesshomaru's company, and she was coming after it and making no apologies. It was going to be interesting to see how this all played out.

Yura sighed dreamily and gazed adoringly at Sesshomaru's tight bottom. She bit her lip and managed to restrain herself from reaching out and pinching that mound of tight and toned flesh. Underneath the table, she flexed her fingers and satisfied herself by mentally picturing herself caressing him. She glanced at Kagura when the wind youkai huffed loudly and gave her a confused look. Did she just say something?

Inu Taisho growled loudly and startled everyone in the room. "Damn that boy. He has probably fueled Kagome's anger to gain her full support. I knew that he should have been spanked more as a pup, but his mother would not hear of it. She said that his backside was too damn delicate. Delicate my ass. What he needed was my foot to tickle his tonsils." He snarled.

"Calm down, father. Kagome was already planning on coming after me before even speaking to Inu Yasha. They both have an ax to grind with us, so let's work on one problem at a time." Sesshomaru said as he returned to his chair.

The phone rang and Kagura picked it up. She listened for a minute and then glanced over at Sesshomaru.

"Sess, it's Kagome. She is on line one." Kagura announced and suddenly, the room grew quiet.

Sesshomaru reached for the phone, pressed the button for the intercom, and when he greeted Kagome, he heard her smug voice say, "Hello, Sess. Let's talk about that proxy of yours and what you are going to do to keep me from steamrolling you right out of that plush office of yours."

Lifting a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, Sesshomaru replied, "What about the proxy would you like to speak about, my dear?"

"Well, let's see. Umm, how about we talk about how Kaguya pulled one over on you and that proxy you hold isn't good for anything except to wipe your ass with?" Kagome sneered.

Sesshomaru grew still. He leaned back in his chair and softly replied, "The proxy is real, Kagome."

Kagome barked out a harsh laugh and then said, "No, it isn't. It seems that Totosai isn't the scatterbrained old youkai that I thought him to be. He had Kaguya's number and made sure that she would only get his proxy if he died. However, he ended up selling the proxy to me and that copy of the proxy that you hold is no longer valid. You lose, Taisho."

Sesshomaru reached into his pocket and grabbed the proxy. He pulled it out and studied it for several minutes and then lowered it to the desk. Kagome sighed happily and then said, "Wasn't this fun, Sess? We will have to do it again sometime, but I have a company to dismantle, and I will want you out by next Friday. Talk to you later, darling." Sesshomaru winced as the phone was slammed down in his ear and he growled viciously. He flung the phone at Kagura and snapped, "Get Kaguya on the fucking phone. As much as I love her, Kagome is about to get her ass handed to her."

Kagura paled and quickly looked up the female's number. When the phone was answered, Kagura handed the receiver to Sesshomaru who snapped, "Kaguya, the proxy that you sold me was part of an agreement with Totosai, wasn't it?"

The female gasped and then gave a nervous laugh. "Don't worry, Sessy. That old fool should be croaking sometime soon and then it will be yours legally." She explained.

Sesshomaru could feel himself beginning to lose control of his youkai. His father quickly got up and walked to his side in order to restrain him if necessary.

"What happens if Totosai sells his proxy?" Sesshomaru ground out through his fangs. He knew that the tips of his claws were leaking poison, but he did not care. His entire empire was falling apart and it was this bitch's fault.

"Well, then the proxy that you have would be no good. But, as I said, he would never part with it." Kaguya replied, now growing bored with the conversation. There were stores waiting and time was precious.

"You bitch! Totosai did sell his proxy to Kit Yurakami and now, she is trying to take control of my company. Return my check to me and pray that I am able to save my company, or it will be your head that adorns the wall in my study at home." Sesshomaru snarled. He slammed the phone down and glared at the men and youkai before him.

"Find me something, anything that will stop her from destroying us. NOW!" Sesshomaru snarled, not caring that he was quickly falling over the edge.

Within seconds, the boardroom cleared, leaving Sesshomaru with Inu Taisho. The older youkai stared at his angered son and then said, "I am going to pick Rin up from school. She will stay the night with me at my home so that you may calm down. I may even take her to the park to let her run some of her energy out. You go home and try to relax. Kagome has not won, at least not yet."

Sesshomaru did not acknowledge his father's words. He was hurting too much to do anything but sit and think. Once upon a time, Kagome would never have thought to challenge him in anything, but now, she was a powerful force to fight and she had the upper hand. The ironic thing was that she used to tease him and proclaim that she could never survive in his world. Apparently, she was wrong. She was surviving and proving that she was indeed the fittest.

Gods, he missed her.

* * *

Tsukiko squealed as Inu Yasha pushed him on the swing. His uncle was a lot of fun, and it was great to be around another hanyou. Uncle Inu Yasha had explained to him that some people would be mean because of him being hanyou, but to ignore those people and remember that he was loved. Besides, if anyone did make fun of him, Goshinki and Uncle Inu Yasha would simply beat them up. That was all there was to it.

Inu Yasha glanced over at the tall bodyguard and then narrowed his eyes. The male was looking around and hardly ever glanced at Tsukiko. That pissed the older hanyou off. He walked over to Goshinki and said, "Tsukiko is your charge, so why not watch him or are you looking for some chick to bang?"

Goshinki lifted his eyebrow and glanced down at Inu Yasha. "Take a good sniff of the air. What do you smell?" He asked.

Inu Yasha glared at the male, but then lifted his nose. His eyes widened and he shook his head.

"It can't be. My father is here." Inu Yasha said, his eyes now glancing around. Both males were startled when a voice reached their ears.

"Rin likes your ears. Are they real? Can Rin touch them? Rin doesn't have ears like that. Grandpa, why doesn't Rin have ears like him or yours?" The little girl asked.

Slowly, Inu Yasha turned around and saw his father standing right behind them, his mouth was hanging open and he was staring at Tsukiko. Ohh, Kagome was not going to like this one damn bit. And, it would probably be his ass that got blasted for it.

Tsukiko hopped off the swing and grinned at the little girl. "My name is Tsukiko and I am five years old. Sure you can touch them, but don't pull. My mama says that she likes my ears, too." He proudly proclaimed.

Inu Taisho finally managed to pull himself together and looked at Inu Yasha. "Where is Kagome?" He demanded.

Shrugging, Inu Yasha said, "None of your business, but she could be plotting her next step in destroying you and Sesshomaru."

Tsukiko walked over and tugged on Inu Yasha's hand. When he gained his uncle's attention, he motioned for the older hanyou to lean down and then whispered, "That man smells like us. Is he my uncle, too?"

Before Inu Yasha could reply, Goshinki said, "No, Tsukiko. That male is your grandfather, Lord Inu Taisho."

Inu Taisho kneeled down and smiled at the pup. He reached out to touch him but Kagome's voice cut through the air. "Tsukikomaru, come over here, right now!"

Tsukiko ran to his mother and hugged her around her knees. "Mama, I have an uncle and a grandpa. Isn't that neat?" He asked, his large golden eyes wide and sparkling with excitement.

Kagome bit her lip and glared at both Inu Yasha and Goshinki. "Take my son over to the car. I wish to speak with Inu Taisho for a moment." She said, her anger barely held in check.

Both males nodded and Tsukiko yelped when Goshinki picked him up. "I want to see my grandpa! Mama, don't yell at him!" He cried and was then quickly placed into the car.

Kagome took in a deep breath and then turned to the older Taisho. Before she could get a word out, a little girl skipped forward and gave Kagome a dazzling smile. "Rin likes your son. He has neat ears. Can he play for a little while longer? Rin never gets to play with anyone outside of school. Well, I play with Jaken, but he isn't no fun." She said, pouting.

Kagome watched as Inu Taisho turned Rin towards him and gave her a smile. "Grandpa has to speak to this nice lady, so why don't you go play on the slide?" He suggested. Rin giggled as her grandfather's tail gently tickled her behind her knee and quickly ran off. Turning towards Kagome, Inu Taisho quietly said, "Sesshomaru doesn't deserve to be denied his child. What you are doing is wrong and it will only hurt Tsukikomaru in the end. He will grow up to hate you and blame you for not allowing him access to his father and then what will you say? Kagome, no one blames you for being angry, but that child should not be part of your revenge against my son."

Kagome listened very carefully to the youkai before her. All the hateful things she was about to say were lost as she considered every single word. Damn him, he was right and she knew it.

"Sesshomaru denied him. He denied our little girl. How can you sit there and say that what I am doing is wrong? What if he is allowed into Tsukiko's life and then walks out after deciding that he doesn't want to be a father?" She demanded. "After all, a pup will cramp Sesshomaru's love life."

Inu Taisho chuckled. "Look at that little girl." He said, pointing over at Rin. "One year after you left, Sesshomaru had moved into an apartment near the office and had started to walk to work every morning. One morning, he passed by an ally, and heard the cries of a small infant. Curious, he searched for the source of the cry and found Rin tucked behind a garbage can, abandoned and left for dead. He could have left her there, but instead, he picked her up and took her to the hospital. They were going to place her in an orphanage, but Sesshomaru would not hear of it. Instead, he had decided to do for that little girl what he could not for your little girl. It doesn't matter to him that she is human. He doesn't see her as anything but his pup." He said, his eyes misting over at the memory. "Kagome, he may have been a horrible fiancé, but he is an excellent father, and he loves Tsukikomaru just as much as he loves Rin. And he loves Keyana, even though she is gone. I can say that you are wrong because you don't know this Sesshomaru. You only know what you remember. Talk to him and you will see that I speak the truth."

Kagome watched as Inu Taisho called out to the little girl and held out his hand. Rin skipped happily over to him and gave Kagome a bright, gap-toothed grin before waving and was soon out of her sight. She slowly turned and walked to the car. Once she was inside, she noticed that Tsukiko was asleep in Inu Yasha's arms.

"He cried himself to sleep. This is what happens when parents are at war with each other. It's the children who suffer, and when that happens, no one wins." Goshinki said, his eyes trained upon Kagome.

Kagome didn't say a word as she slumped into her seat. This was harder than she had ever imagined. She had been foolish to think that once Tsukiko had met Inu Yasha that he would not want to meet the rest of his family. She glanced over at her son and could see that he had been crying. Closing her eyes, she had a decision to make and prayed that it was the right one.


	9. Chapter 9

Sesshomaru sat in his study and did not bother to pay attention as Hiten and Kouga talked about the day's events. His friends were still in awe of the fact that Kagome was Kit Yurakami. Never, they had said, would they have thought that Kagome could ever survive as a businesswoman, but they had been wrong.

Yura sighed dreamily and reached over to pat Sesshomaru's hand. "Sess, don't let her get to you. She is clearly bitter and angry. Besides, why are you so interested in her when you could have someone interesting?" She asked, her bottom lip poking out in a small pout.

"Someone like you?" Kagura asked, her tone dry. It was no secret that Yura found Sesshomaru attractive and had been trying to gain his attention for a while now.

"Well, why not? I'm pretty and attractive. I am also intelligent." She added, ignoring the snort that came from Kagura after her last statement.

Sesshomaru paid the women no mind. His thoughts were still on Kagome and the fact that she had in one day managed to destroy what had taken his family nearly a century to build.

"So, what are we going to do? We can't very well sit back and let Kagome rip down the company. I say that we find something on her and use it." Hiten said, his red eyes narrowing at the prospect.

Kouga shook his head and motioned for Bankotsu to sit down. "Hiten, we are not going to blackmail Kagome. What we need to do is beat her at her own game. Is there anyone else who might be able to help us?" He asked.

Bankotsu glared over at Hiten and shook his head. "No one that wants to butt heads with Kit Yurakami. Apparently, Kagome's reputation precedes her. Rumor has it that in America, she used to take great pleasure in making her opponents cry. This Kagome is someone not to fuck with and I think that we need to be very careful about how we handle her." He grumbled.

Kouga nodded and glanced over at Sesshomaru. "What do you think" He asked, his bright blue eyes narrowing in concern.

Sesshomaru let out a sigh and shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Jaken.

"Please forgive this lowly Jaken's intrusion, my lord. You have a visitor." Jaken squeaked. Before he could properly announce her, Kagome strolled into the study, and gazed at Sesshomaru.

"We need to talk. Now." She said.

* * *

Kagome had a headache. In fact, the headache had started right after she had seen Inu Taisho reaching out to touch Tsukiko. She rubbed her temples and sighed heavily. What a mess this entire situation was. She wished she had listened to Hojo when he had said that one day, Tsukiko would demand to know his father and at the time, she had simply shrugged and muttered that she would deal with it when the time came, well, the time was now and she did not have a clue as to what to do.

Dinner and bedtime had been nothing short of a nightmare. Tsukiko had started howling for his grandfather and father. Inu Yasha calmly explained that his youkai blood was calling out for its sire and would only get worse until he had contact with Sesshomaru and Inu Taisho.

Goshinki had warned her that this would probably happen, but she had been so damn set on punishing Sesshomaru that she had not taken his words seriously. Now, her son was paying the price for her vengeance and it was killing her to hear his anguished cries.

Inu Yasha had volunteered to sit with Tsukiko and give her a break. The only peace her little pup seemed to find was in his uncle's arms, but even that was not quite enough. Though there was some youkai blood, it was not as strong as it would be with Sesshomaru or even Inu Taisho and would not sooth the little pup entirely.

This had all been a mistake. She had gained a company and her revenge, but in the process, she had harmed the one she was supposed to be protecting. Well, that would stop as of now.

She stood up and walked quietly towards Tsukiko's room. She poked her head in and found Inu Yasha and her son both asleep, but Tsukiko would occasionally hiccup, proving to Kagome that he had cried himself to sleep. Smiling, she tiptoed in and covered the two males with the blanket that rested at the foot of the bed. Then, she shut off the light and left the room, making sure to leave the door open a crack.

She walked into the living room and found Goshinki and Kaede watching a comedy program.

"I am going out for a while. I will be back later." She said. She frowned when Goshinki grunted in response, and narrowed his eyes when he glared up at her.

"Well, Kit. It looks as though you can claim your revenge upon Sesshomaru. So, what are we going to do for a celebration?" He growled.

Kagome felt her cheeks color and she shook her head. "Ok, you were right, and I was wrong. I'm sorry for what I have done, but damn it. I didn't think that it would go this far." She replied.

Goshinki stood up. "That's right. You didn't think. You were only concerned with getting back at Sesshomaru and now you have. You have won and Tsukiko has lost." He snapped. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Kaede."

He continued to glare at Kagome as he walked by her and she felt her shoulders droop. She glanced over at Kaede and saw the older woman shrug.

"Don't let him upset you, Kagome. He is worried about Tsukiko and will probably regret his words to you in the morning. Go on and have a good time." Kaede said, her eyes trained upon the television.

Kagome snorted. A good time? No. This was going to be as far from a good time as one could get.

She left the suite and rode the elevator to the garage. Once inside her car, she pulled out the directions to Sesshomaru's house that Inu Yasha had given to her. She drove out of the garage and began to drive.

Finding his home had not been a problem. She had remembered the area from when she was younger and had to stifle a gasp when she saw the massive house. Grudgingly, she had to admit that Sesshomaru had good taste.

She drove up to the gate and pressed the intercom button. Jaken's voice answered and Kagome said, "This is Kagome Yurakami. I would like to see Sesshomaru and speak with him about our son."

The gates opened and she drove up and around the circular driveway. She noticed that there were a couple of cars parked off to the side and wondered if she was intruding on some sort of emergency meeting. Well, that didn't matter to her. Sesshomaru could just make them wait. Tsukiko was more important that some damn company, and she wished that she had seen that fact before she decided to start evening scores.

Jaken met her at the front door and bowed low to the ground. "Mrs. Yurakami. It is nice to see you again." He said, his beady little eyes trained upon hers.

"Where is he, Jaken? I don't have a lot of time to screw around." Kagome said, her tone impatient.

Jaken motioned for her to follow him and he entered the study. "Please forgive this lowly Jaken's intrusion, my lord. You have a visitor." Jaken squeaked. Before he could announce her, Kagome walked into the study and said, "We need to talk. Now."

Sesshomaru sat up straight in his seat. "Have you come to discuss the company, Kagome? If so, then call my office and make an appointment. I have no desire to discuss business with you." He growled.

Kagome scowled and noticed that one of the women were shooting her glares. Rolling her eyes, Kagome snapped, "Fuck the company. I came here to speak to you about Tuskikomaru."

That got Sesshomaru's attention. "What about him? Is he ill?" He asked. He stood up and walked over to his desk. "I know of a doctor if he is sick."

Shaking her head, Kagome glared at the other occupants. "No, he isn't sick. Do you think that we could discuss this in private or do you need your entourage to cheer you on?" She sneered.

Sesshomaru regarded Kagome silently and then said, "Please excuse Kagome and myself. Remain here in the study and I will return shortly." He ignored Yura's huff and motioned for Kagome to follow him.

Stupidly, she followed him up the stairs and in her mind, she kept rolling around everything that she wanted to say. She was so preoccupied that she did not notice that he had led her to his bedroom.

Stunned, Kagome whipped around and snarled, "You hold it right there, buddy. I want to talk about our son. I am not doing anything with you."

Lifting an elegant eyebrow, Sesshomaru shrugged. "In here, we have privacy. Speak your mind, Kagome." He invited.

'If I spoke my mind, you would be deaf and I would be grinning.' She thought, nastily. However, this was not about either of them, and she had to place Tsukiko at the top of her list.

"Tsukiko has met both Inu Yasha and your father." She said, her arms crossing over her chest.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. His inu was growling at the thought that his idiot brother had seen and spoken to his son and he had not even been allowed to see him.

"Gloating, Kagome?" He asked, his voice dangerously low. He could not help it. He was jealous.

"No. In fact, I am more ashamed than anything. Inu Yasha says that Tsukiko's youkai blood is calling out for you. He had a rough time, tonight, and for Tsukiko, that is unusual." Kagome muttered.

Sesshomaru relaxed a bit. He sat down on his bed and looked up at Kagome. He noticed that she was uncomfortable and he shook his head.

"It is natural for our son to want to be with me. He has my blood and will want to be around both me and my father. He will feel a connection with the mutt, but that is because of the blood, though it won't be as strong. So, what do you propose to do, Kagome?" He asked, his golden eyes taking in her lovely form.

Kagome sighed and stared out the large window. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. This was not going to be easy. She didn't want him to be in her life, but unfortunately, they had a son together and were bound by him, and his needs came before her own, starting now.

"I am not going to keep you away from Tsukiko. To do so would be cruel to both him and you. He needs you and you can provide him with information about his heritage. I am not youkai nor am I hanyou. I want our son to know both of us and so, I would like to invite you to lunch tomorrow so that you can meet your son." Kagome said, her eyes never opening.

Sesshomaru sat silently as he listened to her words. It was clear to him that she was not happy with extending the invitation, but he would take anything he could get, so long as he could be with both his son and Kagome.

"Very well. I accept your invitation. What time shall I arrive?" He asked. He stood up and walked over to where Kagome stood. He looked down at the little female before him and waited for her answer.

"We eat lunch around noon, so you can come to our suite around eleven-thirty." Kagome replied.

Nodding, Sesshomaru walked to his dresser and quickly made a note in his date book. When Kagome told him where she was staying, he nodded in approval. He had once stayed in that hotel when his home was going through some remodeling.

Kagome began to walk towards the door and was quickly stopped when Sesshomaru grasped her wrist.

When she turned to gaze up at him, he gentled his grip on her wrist and allowed his thumb to make gentle circles upon her skin.

"Thank you, Kagome. This means a lot to me. Perhaps you and I can come to some sort of common ground and find some way of working together. For our son, of course." He said, his golden eyes unusually soft.

Kagome's eyes narrowed. "Let's get one thing straight. I will never forgive you for what you put me through. I will never forget all that I endured at your hands. You walked away from me due to vicious gossip and never once gave thought to the fact that I have not lied to you before. Your opinion of my character and morals prove to me that you only wanted me in bed and nothing more. Had you truly cared about me, you would have listened to my side. We are parents, Sesshomaru. Nothing more. Don't read anything more into it than that. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go home. Have a good night and we will see you tomorrow." Kagome snapped.

She ripped her wrist from her grasp and threw open the bedroom door. She walked quickly down the stairs and came face-to-face with Bankotsu.

Her cousin gave her a small smile and shrugged. "Alright. I'm a shit. I'm a shit and I deserve all of the anger that you have. Kagome, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I ever believed that shit and I miss you." He said.

Kagome lifted an eyebrow. "Well, at least we both agree that you are a shit. What is it that you want from me, Bankotsu?" Kagome asked, her tone weary.

Bankotsu rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I want you to accept my apology and forgive me. But, you have to admit that you helped everyone's belief that you were running around by not confiding in me, at least, that you were working a second job. Kagome, I asked you what you were doing and you continually side-stepped the question." He argued. "What did you expect? You were being so damn secretive that Ayame's tales seemed accurate."

Kagome glared at her cousin and then snapped, "You knew me, Bankotsu. You, of all people, knew that I was not that kind of girl. You knew how stressed out I was about the wedding, and the fact that I didn't want Sesshomaru to pay for the entire thing. I simply wanted to surprise him by paying for my own gown. Well, the bright side is that I was able to buy it, but sadly, I never got to wear it, now did I?"

Cringing, Bankotsu looked up and saw Sesshomaru quietly walking down the stairs. "At least, if you won't reconcile with me, do so with your mother. Kagome, she isn't well. She is miserable and wants to make amends with you. Grandfather has already made it very clear that you, Souta, and Kikyo are the only ones allowed on the shrine grounds and it is killing your mother. She misses you and wants to know her grandson. Can't you at least accept her apology?" He asked.

Kagome sighed and stared at the door. She knew that Sesshomaru had come down the stairs and was now standing behind her, listening.

"Would you? If your mother had believed horrible things about you, could you forgive?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know. I don't have a mother, so I am not able to fairly answer that. I do know, however, that you mother loves you. One hour, Kagome. One hour in my living room. You are a powerful businesswoman, so what would one hour be to you? Your mother doesn't have much, so can't you give her this?" Bankotsu pleaded.

"I will think about it. When I come to a decision, I will get your number from Sesshomaru." Kagome replied. She glanced down when her cell phone began to ring.

Kagome grabbed the phone and then answered it. "Hello?" She listened for a moment before snapping, "For goodness sakes, Inu Yasha. He is a little boy. What do you mean that he tied you up and tried to leave the suite?"

Paling, Kagome took in a deep breath. She was about to reply, but Sesshomaru, who had heard the entire conversation, reached over and took the phone.

"Stay with my son. His mother and I will arrive at the apartment shortly." He said, his tone silky.

He snapped the phone shut, cutting off the hanyou's enraged yell, and looked down at Kagome.

"It would seem that my meeting with our son will happen sooner than expected. Hand me your car keys." He said, holding out his hand.

Kagome glared at the tall youkai and snapped, "I am a big girl, you know. I do know how to drive."

"I am well aware of that, but you drive like a little, old lady and I would like to settle this matter before dawn." Sesshomaru returned dryly.

Kagome's mouth dropped open in outrage and watched as Sesshomaru turned to his associates and apologized for having to leave. They all nodded, well, most of them. The female with short hair simply sighed and then glared over at Kagome before turning to Sesshomaru and sweetly asking, "Perhaps I should stay behind and wait for you to return?"

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow up and said, "Yura, just because you played whore for my brother does not mean that I am just as needy." He turned and called for Jaken.

While he spoke to the toad youkai, Kagura snickered and bent towards Yura. "Careful, dear. You don't need another man getting a restraining order against you. It's a shame that Renkotsu had to seek legal measures to get the point across that he wanted to break up with you." She snickered.

As Yura scowled and tried to think of a comeback, Kagura looked over at Kagome and nodded in satisfaction. The woman reeked of power and money. Smirking, she made her way over to Kagome and said, "In case you are wondering, Ayame is no longer around."

Kagome glanced at Kagura and shrugged. "Where Ayame is doesn't concern me. I simply don't care." She said.

Laughing, Kagura shook her head. "I am glad to see that you have finally grown a set, Kagome. You will need it, especially when Sesshomaru decides to play hardball." She warned.

Kagome watched as the woman gave her another brilliant smile and then walked back over to Hiten. Her attention snapped back to Sesshomaru when he grabbed her keys and her upper arm.

"Let's go. Our son needs me and I am not going to waste another minute away from him." Sesshomaru said as he pulled her towards the door.

"We will have to come to some sort of compromise for when it comes time for you to bring him here." She said.

Sesshomaru smirked. "That won't be a problem at all, Kagome. You see, when I return home, you and our son will be with me."


	10. Chapter 10

She wanted to slap him hard. And, biting him would also satisfy the burning anger that was eating her up on the inside. Yes, biting would definitely make her feel much better, especially after glancing over at him and seeing that smug look upon his face.

"You know that hell will freeze over before Tsukiko and I come and live with you, right?" She snapped, her cool facade now long gone.

Sesshomaru did not say a word, only gave her one of his brief nods that basically said that he heard her, but simply did not care to reply. Kagome felt her body heat as her fury mounted. How dare this insufferable asshole tell her that she was going to do something.

Was she not Kit Yurakami? Was she not the one who stole Sesshomaru's company away from him? Hell, yes she was. But, here she sat, being ignored. Well, he was going to give her the attention she wanted. Starting now.

"Just because you are Tsukiko's father, it doesn't give you the fucking right to tell me where in the hell we are living. I refuse to let you dictate to me just because you are a youkai." She yelled, smiling grimly when he winced.

Slamming on the brakes and causing her to lurch forward in her seat, Sesshomaru's cold eyes moved to gaze over at her, taking in her red face and clenched hands. He had heard enough. She had a lot to learn about youkai children and it was high time that she started.

"I have heard every single word you have screeched, and now, you will hear me. I am youkai, you are human. You have no idea what Tsukiko is going through because you are not youkai. You think that tonight was hard, well, it will get worse. He will want to be with his blood because he and I, along with my father and brother, are pack. You are the one in the wrong here, Kagome. You have been in the wrong since you ran off with our son, leaving me to wonder if I will ever see him again, and despite the fact that I still desire you, I am angry that I have been denied time with my pup. Now, kindly sit back and shut up." He growled, satisfied by her pale face that she received his message loud and clear.

"I left because of you. I went through my pregnancy alone and endured not only being made into a whore, but having to suffer the loss of our daughter all by myself. You want someone to blame for you not being with Tsukiko? Blame yourself, you moody ass." She replied, her voice low and dangerous.

Sesshomaru's eyes had moved back to the road, and he lightly pressed on the accelerator. He knew that she was still going to hold a grudge against him for her pregnancy, but he would not allow her to keep him from his pup any longer. "Say what you must to make you feel better about keeping my from our son, Kagome. But, you left on your own, and Tsukiko paid for it. That, my dear, is totally your fault, and it doesn't matter to me if you forgive me for my error in judgment over not being with you during your pregnancy, for I will never forgive you for denying me my pup."

Kagome glared over at him, but didn't say another word. Instead, she stared out the window and watched as the tall buildings passed by in a haze. His words really got to her, but she had to remember that he could be angry all he wanted; Tsukiko was the only one who mattered.

* * *

Tsukiko howled and sank his teeth into Inu Yasha's hand, causing the older hanyou to holler for Goshinki. When the youkai appeared, he thrust Tsukiko at him and snapped, "Here, he wants you."

Once Tsukiko was in Goshinki's arms, the hanyou grumbled as he quickly doctored his hand and silently prayed for Kagome to hurry up and return. When his ears picked up the closing of the door, he turned and saw that Tsukiko had quieted and was now listening intently as voices drew near.

From the sounds of things, Kagome was angry, and didn't bother to hide it. The door slowly opened and in the doorway, a stunned Kagome and Sesshomaru took in the scene with disbelieving eyes.

Sesshomaru stared over at his brother, who was covered in duct tape and had blood running down the side of his hand. The large youkai holding the small hanyou pup was glaring at Kagome, while struggling with the child.

Stepping over to Tsukiko, Sesshomaru motioned for Goshinki to place him on the floor and once the pup was on his own two legs, Sesshomaru stared down at him and said, "My name is Sesshomaru Taisho. I am your father, and your sire."

Tsukiko stared up at the youkai whom looked so much like him, except without the ears. He walked up to the tall male and sniffed him before glancing at his mother, hope dancing in his eyes.

"Is he telling the truth, mama?" He asked, his little face hopeful. "Is he really my daddy? He smells like me and my grandpa."

"Yes, sweetheart. He is your father, just like he says. He is Uncle Inu Yasha's brother." Kagome explained, a smile forming upon her lips. Damn Sesshomaru. Now, she had to be nice to him, well, at least in front of their son. In private, all bets were off.

Sesshomaru reached down and lifted the pup into his arms. Turning, he glared over his shoulder at Inu Yasha and snapped, "At least pretend to have some dignity. It is pathetic that a mere pup could subdue you, Inu Yasha."

Inu Yasha went to flip the older male off, but seeing Tsukiko's eyes staring at him over Sesshomaru's shoulder, made Inu Yasha hesitate. He could not believe that once again, Sesshomaru came out on top while he got the scraps. Life was not fair at all.

Kagome followed Sesshomaru as he carried Tsukiko down the hall. When Sesshomaru walked straight to the door, Kagome's mouth dropped open and she said, "Wait! His room is back here."

Sesshomaru's back stiffened and he didn't bother to turn around. "Tsukiko and I are going to my home. My invitation to you is voided. You may visit with him tomorrow afternoon, no earlier." He said, his tone cold.

Kagome felt something within her snap. "You wait a fucking minute. I am his legal guardian. He is staying here, damn it."

Sesshomaru turned, his eyes narrowed. "Do you really wish to do this in front of him, Kagome? He is tired and won't get the rest he needs unless I am near. I will not let your hate towards me stand in the way of his well-being. Now, good night."

Kagome moved to go after him, but was held back by Goshinki, who glared down at her. "Let him go. He has every right, Kit. After everything that Tsukiko has been through today, I would think that you would want what is best for him, but now, I can see all you want is what is best for you."

Kagome paled and was about to reply, but stopped when she heard the ding of the elevator. She saw Sesshomaru walk into the car, Tsukiko's head upon his shoulder, and then watched as the door closed. Her worst fears had come to pass and tears filled her eyes.

A gentle hand fell upon her shoulder and she heard Inu Yasha mumble that she needed to come back into the suite. Blinded by her tears, she stumbled past Inu Yasha, and into Kaede's arms. The nanny helped the young woman into her room and closed the door as Inu Yasha turned to Goshinki.

The hanyou glared up at the tall youkai. "That was low. You know, I expected more from you, but to do that to her was nothing short of cold." He growled.

"The pup needs his father. You, as a hanyou, should understand. Tsukiko needs to be near his blood, even if Kit doesn't like the father. She laid with him, mated him, and now, has to deal with him. If she is upset by my words, tough. They are true and she knows it." Goshinki replied.

Shaking his head, Inu Yasha said, "I doubt that you know everything that was done to her. My brother, along with myself and our friends, made her life a living hell. My brother destroyed her in ways that not even you can imagine. She had no one to turn to and now, the one who is supposed to be protecting her has betrayed her. The hell that she fought so hard to escape is hot on her heels, and you are standing aside and letting it happen. What are you going to say to her if Sesshomaru decides to fight her for Tsukiko? How are you going to explain to her the reason for your defection?"

"I will deal with it when the time comes." Goshinki replied. He would not show the hanyou, but he made a very good point. He hadn't known about what happened with Kagome and Sesshomaru, mostly because Hojo would not let anyone upset Kagome by asking. Soon, it was forgotten and she moved on.

The hanyou muttered that he would return in the morning and left, leaving Goshinki alone with his thoughts. He snapped out of his thoughts when Kaede opened Kagome's door and walked from the room. The old woman glanced his way, but then shook her head and walked to her own room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Swallowing hard, Goshinki moved forward, intent on entering Kit's room and explaining his actions, but as he lifted his hand to knock, he froze when he heard Kit sobbing, almost to the point where she was hysterical.

His body cold, he turned and walked to Kaede's room and overheard her on the phone. Finally, she hung up and he knocked.

When the door opened, Goshinki asked, "Is she alright?"

Kaede narrowed her eyes at the large youkai and snapped, "Let's see...she has not only had her child removed from her this evening, but also had the person whom she had depended upon betray her. So, no. She is not alright, Goshinki. I have called a physician to come and sedate her. I hope that you and your opinions are satisfied, my dear. Sleep well."

Goshinki was taken aback by the woman's scorn. He moved into the living room, and listened as Kaede walked back into Kagome's room. Her soft words were heard as she tried to calm Kagome down, but nothing she said worked.

Finally, the physician arrived and went told of what happened, quickly went in and administered the sedative. Once Kagome was asleep, the man came out and shook his head.

"She should be fine for the rest of the night, but if she wakes and needs me, just call." He said, giving Kaede a smile.

When they were alone again, Goshinki tried to speak to Kaede, but the old woman was not about to hear him. So, she went to bed and left him.

Standing up and feeling small, Goshinki entered Kagome's room and pulled a chair over to her bed. There he would stay in case she needed him. Hopefully, everything would work out. It just had to.

* * *

Sesshomaru arrived at his home and glanced over at his pup. Tsukiko was asleep, and curled up in the seat. Once he parked and removed the pup from the car, Sesshomaru went inside, but paused when he heard the loud squeal of tires.

Calling for Jaken, he awoke Tsukiko and told him to go upstairs with Jaken while he spoke with his visitor. Once the pup was gone, Sesshomaru walked outside and confronted a very angry Inu Yasha.

"How in the fucking hell could you do that to her?" The hanyou demanded, his eyes wild. Sesshomaru took note that his brother was very close to losing control of his youkai blood.

"I did what was best for Tsukiko." Sesshomaru replied, his tone even. In his youkai state, Inu Yasha was almost as strong as him.

Snorting, Inu Yasha snapped, "Bullshit. You did what was best for Sesshomaru. You don't give a damn about anyone unless there is something in it for you. You should have stayed at the suite. Kagome couldn't walk without help."

Sesshomaru's face remained in its stoic mask. "I told her that she may come here tomorrow. I simply did not wish to sleep in a strange bed."

"Are you trying to destroy her, Sesshomaru. She has fought to become the woman she is today, and has dealt with things that neither of us can understand. Taking her pup away from her was heartless, even for a bastard such as yourself." Inu Yasha growled.

Sesshomaru didn't answer. He made the decision to rescind Kagome's invitation in hopes that she would drop her attitude and be willing to talk to him, perhaps understand that they could find someway of working together, but when she had screamed at him in the car, his temper flared and he decided that he would simply take the pup home and deal with Kagome later. Clearly, he should have thought this out better.

"I will not apologize for bringing my pup home. She denied me access to him. Now, she knows how it feels." Sesshomaru replied, mentally wincing at how cold he sounded, even to himself.

"No, she left because she was scared. She left because of what I said. If you want to take your anger out on someone, take it out on me. I hope that you have not ruined the chance to have a civil co-parenting arrangement with her. If it were me, I would have called the cops and had you arrested for kidnapping." Inu Yasha hissed. Turning on his heel, the hanyou climbed back into his car and sped off, not caring that he just ruined a large portion of his brother's neatly manicured lawn.

Walking back into his home, Sesshomaru wondered if perhaps he should drive back to Kagome's suite and speak to her. Instead, he moved over to his phone and dialed her number.

When it was picked up, he was told that Kagome had to be sedated and that he was a lowlife. When the phone was slammed down in his ear, Sesshomaru hung his phone up and stared at the large picture of Kagome and his pups.

After a few minutes, he got up and walked over to his wet bar. He needed a good, stiff drink. He had a feeling that he really screwed up.

* * *

Kagome woke up early and noticed that Goshinki was sitting in a chair, sleeping, beside her bed. She glanced over at the clock and decided that she had waited long enough. Her pup was coming home.

Slowly, she left the bed and quietly grabbed her clothing before slipping out of the room. She dressed quickly in the living room and grabbed her keys. She would drive over to Sesshomaru's home, pick up Tsukiko, curse Sesshomaru out, and come home.

She rode the elevator down to the garage and ran to her car. Once inside, she started the engine and pulled out of her space.

As she drove, Kagome recalled every single word that both Goshinki and Sesshomaru said. Well, if Goshinki felt that strongly about Sesshomaru, then let him go and work for him. She was going to fire his ass when she returned to the suite.

She drove fast, and failed to notice that the light had turned red. Only when she heard the sound of tires squealing did Kagome realize that she was about to be hit.

Everything happened in slow motion. She felt the impact, was thrown forwards, hitting her head on the steering wheel, and then thrown backwards. After that, Kagome felt nothing; knew nothing.

* * *

Sesshomaru awoke to the sound of his phone ringing. His neck was stiff and he snarled when he realized that he fell asleep at his desk.

Yanking up the phone, he snapped, "What?!" The caller hiccuped, but then said, "Sesshomaru, you need to come down to Shikon Hospital. Kagome was in an accident."

His hand gripping the phone, Sesshomaru demanded, "Is she alright?" His eyes traveled up to the painting and he closed his eyes, praying that he would not have to bury his son's mother next to their daughter, at least not yet.

Inu Yasha sighed. "We don't know. The police came to the suite just as I got there and that is how I know. I have to go. Goshinki and I are driving to the hospital in a couple of minutes. Sesshomaru, they said that it would be nothing short of a miracle if she survived." He whispered.

Hanging up, Sesshomaru slowly reached for his keys and noticed that Tsukiko was standing at the door.

"Can we play today, daddy?" He asked, his little voice excited.

Sesshomaru stared down at him and wondered how he was going to tell his son that his mother was badly hurt because of his stupidity. Instead, he bent down and said, "I must go and visit a friend in the hospital, but I am going to drop you off at your grandfather's home and he will play with you. You will also get to meet your sister, as well."

The pup yelped in excitement and rushed to the door. Jaken had already dressed him, and Sesshomaru was not in the mood to rush upstairs and change his clothings. So, they left and drove to Inu Taisho's home.

Once he explained what happened, Inu Taisho was more than happy to take Tsukiko, much to the delight of both pups. Soon, he was back on the road, and found himself at the hospital.

He walked into the emergency room and found not only Goshinki and Inu Yasha, but Bankotsu and Kagome's mother, as well. He moved towards his friend and sat down beside him.

Neither man spoke and watched as Goshinki spoke to the attending physician. When he turned to walk back, his shoulders were slumped and he said, "It's bad. She is in surgery and they won't know anything until afterwards. Apparently, she had a lot of internal bleeding and if they can't get it to stop, there isn't much hope."

Sesshomaru felt his body grow cold. Kagome could die and the last thing she would remember was that he had taken her pup from her. Her last memory would be one of pain and betrayal.

She had to be alright. He simply would not be able to live with himself if she died. 'If she lived,' he promised himself, 'I will make it up to her. I will make everything up to her. This, I promise.'


	11. Chapter 11

When Kikyo and Suikotsu arrived at the hospital, both were pale-faced and scared to death. Neither would sit near Sesshomaru and continued to glare at him and his group of friends, who had arrived shortly before they did.

Kagome's mother sobbed, and clung to Souta as she babbled about how she could not lose her little baby girl. Rolling her eyes, Kikyo was about to reply to the woman, but Suikotsu grabbed her hand, and shook his head.

"Now is not the time, my love. Let's just concentrate on Kagome and pray that she makes it." He whispered.

Nodding, Kikyo's eyes shifted over to Sesshomaru and she noticed that Inu Yasha continued to divide his time by going back and forth, glaring at Sesshomaru one minute, and then at Kagome's bodyguard the next.

She patted her husband's hand and walked over to the hanyou, who straightened up the moment he saw her approach. They had come to a comfortable agreement to try and be friendly, at least for Tsukiko's sake. So far, so good.

"Hey, have you heard anything about her condition?" She asked, her voice low. Sighing, Inu Yasha shrugged and replied, "Right now, all we know is that she has internal bleeding. She is in surgery and we can't get any further information than that."

Kikyo appeared thoughtful and then walked back over to Suikotsu. After a few moments, he nodded and got up, walked over to the nurse's station and began to speak quietly to the woman. After several moments, he turned and ran his fingers nervously through his hair.

His wife walked over to him and pulled him aside. "Well?" She demanded, her concern for her cousin growing by the moment.

"Honey, it's worse than what Inu Yasha was told." He said, his face even paler than before. "Kikyo, Kagome has a very serious head injury. Right now, they are not even clear if she will ever wake up again."

Kikyo stared at her husband for a moment, and then burst into tears, her grief for her cousin melting all of her restraint. Sobbing, she flung herself into her husband's arms and completely ignored Sesshomaru when he approached them.

"You have news about Kagome. What is going on?" He asked, his tone cold, but still curious. He called his father after the first update, but now, it appeared that things were getting much worse.

Suikotsu calmly repeated what he told Kikyo and watched as the tall youkai process the information. Without another word, Sesshomaru turned and walked back to his seat, ignoring the curious glances from his friends.

They sat in the waiting room for nearly five and a half hours before the doctor finally came out to greet them. He was a large hanyou, with kind eyes and a very nice smile. He introduced himself as Dr. Jinengi Sumo.

Suikotsu stood up and walked over to the large man, offering his hand and greeting him. "It is good to see you again, Jinengi. Tell me, how is Kagome?" He asked, his voice slightly shaking.

Jinengi shook his head. "I really wish that I could offer you better news, but as you know, Suikotsu, head wounds are very serious. If she wakes up, it will be nothing short of a miracle, and there is no telling what kind of damage has been done. As far as the internal bleeding, we managed to stop it and will keep her in intensive care for a few days to make sure that she doesn't begin to bleed again. Until her condition changes, all we can do is wait and pray. I'm sorry, but that is all that I can tell you." He said, his eyes traveling over the group of people who were listening.

Suikotsu nodded and watched as Kikyo stepped forward, and accepted the hug that Jinengi offered to her. "I am so glad that you were the one taking care of her, Jinengi. I can't think of anyone I would rather have taking care of her. Please, can we see her?" She begged, not caring if she sounded desperate.

Jinengi pondered for a moment, but then nodded. "You may see her, Kikyo. I know how close you are, and I think that perhaps it may do her a world of good to hear your voice. After that, I would prefer if she were left alone for a couple of days, just so that she can rest and begin her healing, even if it is just her body that heals." He explained.

Nodding, Kikyo followed the large hanyou and disappeared behind a set of doors. When they were gone, Sesshomaru turned to Goshinki and asked, "What meetings did Kagome have scheduled for this week?"

Goshinki shrugged. "I don't know. All her appointments are in her black book, and that is back at the suite. Why?" He asked, his guilt over Kit's injury eating him alive.

"I will be taking over for her until she is able to resume her responsibilities." He said, his voice void of any emotion. Though, inside, his emotions were quickly going into overload. He had to leave, to get away and think about everything that had transpired.

Goshinki sighed. "I will bring the book to you this afternoon. Then, if you need me for anything else, call here. I am still her bodyguard and I won't leave her, and if that hanyou doesn't like it, he can fuck off." He growled. Turning, he stomped to the exit and disappeared, intent on getting the book and getting back to the hospital.

Kouga moved to stand beside Sesshomaru. "She is going to be alright, right?" He asked, his blue eyes worried. He could not believe that they were even standing there, in a hospital, with Kagome fighting for her life. It seemed that no matter what she did, life found a way to fuck her over.

Sesshomaru did not reply. Turning, he glanced down at Yura and said, "Wait here for Goshinki to return. Bring me the book and be quick about it."

Yura perked up and eagerly nodded. Finally, a chance to show Sesshomaru her worth. She walked over and perched in a chair, her eyes glued to the double doors. She was not going to let her dream youkai down.

Bankotsu quietly told Souta to take his mother home and that he would be in touch. When they were gone, Bankotsu walked over to Suikotsu and gave him a hard stare. "Ok, what are we not being told?" He demanded.

Suikotsu shrugged. "As Jinengi said, head wounds are very serious. Many things could happen and until she wakes up, we won't know the extent of the damage. But, I have to wonder why she was driving at that hour anyways? Goshinki always drives Kagome, so why was she driving herself and where was she going?"

Sesshomaru did not speak. He could not allow himself to utter the words he knew that he should say. Turning on his heel, he walked to the exit and walked outside, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket as he walked. He dialed his father's phone number and waited for the elder Taisho to pick up.

When his father finally answered, Sesshomaru explained what happened and listened to his father's unsteady breath. Once he was able, Inu Taisho promised to call the administrator of the hospital and have Kagome moved to a more private and comfortable room that was usually reserved for patients who were considered to be V.I.P.'s.

Satisfied that his father would follow through with his promise, he pressed the disconnect button and unlocked his car. When he was safely inside the plush interior of his expensive vehicle with its dark, tinted windows, he allowed his cold demeanor to break and he placed his head in his hands. It seemed that he could never do right by Kagome and this was yet another example of that fact.

Taking in a deep breath, he started his car and drove out of the parking space and went directly over to his father's house to tell his son what happened to his mother. However, when he arrived, he was grateful to learn that his father explained to Tsukikomaru about his mother and was currently comforting the sobbing pup when he walked into the house.

The elder Taisho stared up at his son and shrugged. "I think that for the next couple of days, the pups should remain here. I have spoken to Tsukiko's nanny and she agrees with me. She has offered her assistance, and I have accepted. Oh, and I called Hiro Nanisu over at the hospital, and he is going to have Kagome moved as soon as possible. She will still be watched over very carefully, but she will be in a more comfortable bed and will still be considered in intensive care." He explained.

Before he could thank his father, Tsukiko lifted his tear-stained face and whimpered, "I want my mama. I want to go and see her. Daddy Hojo died all alone, and I don't want mama to die alone. Please grandpa, I want to see mama."

A lump rose in Sesshomaru's throat and he moved to kneel before his son. "I promise you, Tsukiko, I will take you to see your mother as soon as she wakes up. But, for now, we have to let her sleep so that she can get well. Do you understand?" He asked.

"But, what if she wakes up and is all alone? What if no one wants to talk to her?" Tsukiko asked, his bottom lip quivering as all of his childish thoughts filtered through his head as he began to imagine his mother waking up all alone.

Inu Taisho patted the pup on his head and smiled down at him. "Your mother will have Goshinki. She will not be alone, I promise."

A smile crossed the pup's lips as he stared up at his grandfather. Satisfied that his mother would not wake up alone, Tsukiko wiggled off his lap and ran to find Rin.

When they were alone, Inu Taisho shook his head. "I hope that I didn't just lie to him. I know what head wounds mean for humans." He muttered.

Sesshomaru nodded and glanced at the door when the butler announced the arrival of the elderly nanny. Kaede walked in and quickly shook the hand of Inu Taisho before shooting Sesshomaru a glare that made his usual glare seem friendly.

"Are you proud of yourself, Mr. Taisho? Are you satisfied with your handy work?" She demanded, her good eye glaring at him with all of the hate that she felt. Her other eye wandered around the room, not really focusing on anything.

Inu Taisho stared at his son and the elderly nanny, but didn't say a word. He had a feeling that he would have to have a very long talk with Sesshomaru when they were alone.

After Tsukiko and Kaede were reunited, Inu Taisho pointed at a chair and sternly said, "Explain what in the hell she was talking about and don't think about trying to lie."

So, Sesshomaru explained and when he was done, he was almost positive that his father would revert to his large youkai form. However, the elder Taisho managed to control himself and glared at his son.

"So, because she was so damned upset, she drove herself and got into the accident. Well, way to go, son. This is just yet another thing that Kagome can hate you for." He snapped.

Sesshomaru nodded and didn't even try to offer any kind of excuses. Excuses were beneath him. All he could do now was step into Kagome's shoes and toe all of her responsibility for the time she needed to recover; if she recovered.

* * *

After five tense days, Kagome was finally listed in stable condition. Jinengi allowed her to have visitors and smiled when he came into her room to find it packed with guests. He shook his head and moved towards his patient to exam her head wound.

As he looked her over, Kagome let out a soft groan, causing the doctor to pause and then lean down next to her ear.

As the room's occupants held their breath, Jinengi softly said, "Kagome, I need you to open your eyes. Can you do that for me?"

At first, Kagome's eyelashes fluttered, and she moved her head restlessly from side to side. Sesshomaru felt his father's claw dig into his shoulder as hope began to spring within them.

Finally, slowly, her eyes opened, and she winced at the bright light. Jinengi smiled and nodded his head. Softly, he told her to try and follow his light pen with her eyes and when she managed to follow his directions, though it was clear that she was in a lot of pain, he nodded and murmured to Suikotsu that he was ordering tests for her.

Once the doctor left the room, Kagome blinked rapidly and lifted her hand to her head. She winced when she touched the bandage and whispered, "What happened to me?"

Goshinki gently removed her hand from her head and held it in his large claw. He gave her a gentle smile and replied, "You were in an accident, Kit. Don't worry, though. We have made sure that everything has been taken care of while you were recovering."

Kagome frowned and cocked her head, confusion clear on her face. "Kit? Who is that?" She mused, her eyes narrowing.

Everyone in the room grew quiet and finally, Goshinki calmly said, "You are Kit. Kit Yurakami."

Kagome stared at the large youkai and shook her head, though it was a very slow shake. "No. I'm sorry, but that is not my name. My name is Kagome Higurashi."


	12. Chapter 12

Three days. Three days of being poked, prodded, and stared at. And, to be quite frank, she was getting sick of it. Everyone around her was acting as though someone had died, and had developed the annoying habit of speaking to her like she was a child who could not understand simple words.

From what she could wrangle out of the doctor, she was in a very serious car accident and was now suffering from amnesia. It would have been funny, but seeing as how nobody was laughing and her mother continued to apologize for something bad, it was clear to Kagome that not only were they telling the truth, but that something worse than losing her memory happened to her. Now, all she had to do was remember it.

That large youkai, Goshinki, told her that she married Houjo. At first, she refused to believe it, but after viewing pictures and seeing the proof that was her marriage license, she had no choice but to believe his claim.

Bankotsu came by every day and stayed with her for a few hours, joking with her and telling her about his job with Sesshomaru's company. He did mention that he made a very serious error with her and that he was sorry, but for her own good, he would not say exactly what he did. He refused to leave when her mom came to visit, saying that he would not allow Kagome to be taken advantage of, even by her own mother, and that confused her even more.

Sesshomaru stopped by and each time she would see him, her mind told her that she should be happy to see him, but there was something deep within her that continued to tell her to not trust him. To not speak with him.

It hurt. She knew that she should love him. After all, they were in love. So, why was he acting so strangely with her and why was it that he froze when she reached out and touched his arm?

Her answer came a few days after she woke up. She could hear Goshinki in the hall, his tone low and dangerous, warning Sesshomaru.

"I won't stand by and let you manipulate her memories. At the moment, she is vulnerable, and I refuse to let you try and worm your way back into her heart by filling her head with words of love and devotion. Had you honestly felt that way, she would not be here, now would she?" He demanded, a growl rising in his throat.

Sesshomaru answered Goshinki's growl with one of his own. "Kagome needs to be cared for and she doesn't understand why we are so careful with her. She may never regain her memory and it is my duty to her to see that not only are her interests taken care of, but also Tsukikomaru's."

Tsukikomaru. Why did that name sound so familiar? In fact, the name made her body grow warm and brought forth protective instincts that she didn't know she had. As she pondered the thought, the door opened and Sesshomaru entered, his face as stoic as ever.

He knew that her eyes were upon him and she was staring at him as though she had something on her mind, but was trying to decide as to whether or not she should say something. Finally, the urge got to be too much and she asked, "What were you and Goshinki talking about? I heard the two of you arguing. Is everything alright?"

He gave a short nod of his head and lowered himself into the chair that was beside her bed. "You should be resting. Your doctor has said that you need more rest. You cannot rest if you are not asleep."

Rolling her eyes, she gave him a grin, though the stray thought of reaching out and slapping him across his face as hard as she could arose and rendered her speechless. She quietly leaned back against the white pillow and stared down at her hands. These violent urges were starting to scare her.

He watched her with careful eyes. For a moment, he could detect an air of anger about her, anger that had clung to her like perfume before the accident, but it quickly disappeared and the air of confusion and shock settled in.

He should tell her everything. He knew that he should, but he simply did not know how she would react to learning about his and her friend's betrayal, the fact that she bore him two pups one of whom died, marrying and becoming a widow, and finally, him taking away Tsukikomaru from her in a moment of uncharacteristic anger.

As she studied her hands, he noticed that she was also biting her lip, and without thinking, he reached over and gently smoothed her lip.

"You will harm yourself if you continue to do that. Refrain from it." He instructed, his tone instantly angering her and causing her to sit up and glare at him in a silent challenge. However, her firm resolve to disobey him lasted exactly three seconds and upon the narrowing of his eyes, she shrank back and allowed her eyes to fall to her lap.

The entire time, he was watching her and her reactions. Her first instinct was to challenge him and his authority. But, after her initial reaction, her reasoning would demand an answer as to why she was challenging him and she would back down.

Though it irritated him, her attitude before the accident actually did more for him than this new attitude of hers. He loved a challenge and the former Kagome challenged him, got one up on him, and actually scored a victory against him in the boardroom, something that had never happened before. This was how a mate should be. A mate should challenge and create excitement within the relationship. Their battles in the boardroom would finish out in the bedroom as they locked together in a sweating, panting tangle of limbs and flesh.

However, first thing was first. With her being out of commission, he needed to figure out a way of making those who worked for her and against her believe that she was still in control and able to take on the world. He had to create the illusion that Kit Yurakami was indestructible, in and out of the office.

Sitting back down, he lifted his briefcase and placed it on the bed and opened it. He pulled out several papers and handed her a pen.

"You must sign these so that I may take care of your appointments while you recover. Sign them with your name, Kagome Yurakami." He instructed.

Kagome's eyes narrowed and she lifted one of the documents. As she stared at it, it dawned on her that she didn't understand a single word of it, and what was worse, nothing made sense. It was then that she realized that she could not read it.

Her chin trembled and she allowed the paper to fall from her fingers. It was too much for her to handle. Why was it that she knew who he was, but didn't know how to read? If she couldn't read, how was she supposed to sign her name?

Tears spilled from her eyes and she lifted her hands to her face. She hated this. It wasn't fair. As she cried into her hands, she felt the rough material of his business jacket on her cheek and his hand gently fell upon her head.

"You can't read it, can you?" He asked quietly. He already knew the answer and sighed when she bobbed her head.

"I was going to tell you that the doctor said that she would probably experience other problems, but I never imagined that she would forget how to read." Goshinki said as he came into the room.

He had just come back from getting a cup of coffee and heard Sesshomaru's words. He had a feeling that Kagome lost more than just her memory, but was too concerned with keeping the others from taking advantage of her to be worried about it. Now, it looked like he had better start working on this problem, too.

Glancing up, Sesshomaru asked, "When will she be allowed to leave the hospital?" He watched as the large youkai shifted uncomfortably and said, "Her doctor said that she could leave tomorrow. I was going to ask him if she could stay a few days longer because I have to return to the states and deal with a situation that has come up with my sister."

Sesshomaru felt his youkai purr. This was a perfect chance. Shaking his head, he said, "Go to America. She will be coming to my home and I will take responsibility for her."

He knew it! He just fucking knew it! Sesshomaru was going to take full advantage of the situation and sadly, there was not a fucking thing he could do about it at the moment. Well, there was one thing. He could bring in his cousin, Shiori, to watch over her.

Shiori was a hanyou. Part human and part bat. She was also a very good nurse and was in need at the moment of another job. So, he smiled and nodded.

"Alright, but her nurse will be the one taking care of her needs. Shiori will arrive in a few hours. Thank you for opening your home, Sesshomaru." Goshinki said, a smug smile upon his lips. His cousin was vicious when protecting her charges and when he explained what Kagome went through, he could just bet that Sesshomaru will rue the day he ever offered to open his home.

Something told Sesshomaru that the expression on Goshinki's face was due to the fact that he believed that he had pulled the wool over him. Well, he could deal with anything. Let Goshinki bring his nurse.

Yes, he was totally in control and would not allow anyone to disturb his interaction with Kagome. Not now, not when he could finally regain her trust.


	13. Chapter 13

He didn't know if he was going to be able to take it any longer. For nearly a whole week, that new nurse, Shiori, had come into his home and made it nearly impossible for him to get close to Kagome. Every time he entered a room, Shiori quickly ushered Kagome out, giving her charge some excuse that they had to leave right away.

However annoying the nurse was, she had made quite a bit of progress with Kagome as far as helping her to start reading and writing again. Already, Kagome could write her name and had signed the documents that he needed her signature on. All he told her was that a group of men were concerned about her company and he wanted to make sure that they didn't do something rash.

Kagome didn't need to know that her stockholders were now attempting to overthrow her. The rumor that she had been injured quickly spread, despite his best efforts to stop them, and now her stockholders were being urged by another company to toss her out and let their boss take over. For a handsome price, that is.

But, the papers that Kagome signed for him, gave him complete control until Kagome was well enough to return to her position and he had already taken the steps to prevent the takeover. He also learned from a close associate of his that the company who was trying to take over Kagome's belonged to Kagura's older brother.

When confronted with what her brother was attempting to do, Kagura cursed loudly and told him that her brother had been estranged from her and their sister, Kanna, for a very long time. The only one in the family who spoke to Naraku was his twin, Onigumo. Both were foul and cruel, but Onigumo could be reasoned with...to a point.

Naraku, Kagura said, loved to torment people. The only person he could not torment was Hojo Yurakami. Hojo had defeated him a few times in the boardroom and gained a lot of power as well as money in another takeover that resulted in Naraku losing a lot of his backers. Kagura said that it now appeared that he was going after Kagome because he knew that Hojo loved Kagome and the company and he wants to hurt anything and everything that had to do with Hojo.

Now, as Jaken drove him to his office, Sesshomaru could not help but wonder what other tricks Naraku had. The hanyou was clearly intent on getting revenge, but why would he want to gain revenge on Kagome? What had she done to deserve this? Is it possible that she had thwarted a takeover from Naraku already and that was why he wanted to hurt her?

He didn't know, nor did he care. All he knew was that his Kagome needed him and he would not let her down. Once he arrived at his office building, he made his way up to his office and found both Kouga and Bankotsu waiting for him.

"You are not going to believe this." Kouga said, as he and Bankotsu followed him into the plush office. He waited for Sesshomaru to sit down at his desk before Kouga asked, "What do you know of Hojo Yurakami's death?"

"His plane crashed into the ocean. He was with a companion." Sesshomaru replied, his golden eyes trained upon the wolf.

Kouga and Bankotsu glanced at each other before Bankotsu quietly said, "Sesshomaru, we know that Hojo Yurakami was a homosexual. It is all over the news."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. However, Kouga quickly said, "I can smell that he didn't touch her, Sesshomaru. They never consummated the relationship. Kagome is a beautiful woman, and the only reason why I can think of is that the rumors are true and that he was gay."

"And, the young man who was with him on the plane was his lover." Bankotsu finished as he lowered himself into a chair.

Sesshomaru was quiet for a few minutes before he said, "It is true that he did not touch her. However, he loved her and I want the rumors stopped immediately. Kouga, go to the press and give them a statement that Kagome is appalled that the loving relationship she had with her husband is now being dragged through the mud by a spiteful creature who is determined to destroy what her husband had worked so hard for. Tell them that the young man was a close friend of Hojo's and accompanied him on what was to be a vacation in which Kagome was unable to attend."

Kouga nodded. He stood up and quickly walked from the office. Bankotsu glanced at Sesshomaru and shrugged. "You look like you got hit by a bus. Is Kagome giving you any trouble?"

"No. That would be her nurse's job." Sesshomaru replied. "It seems that Goshinki did his job well in selecting a guard dog for Kagome. But, at least Kagome is coming along with her reading and writing, though it will take a long time until she is back to her former self."

"Her mother keeps asking me to bring Kagome to her. Kikyo has threatened to rip off my balls and feed them to me should I do that." Bankotsu said, a smile crossing his lips. "You know, as children, Kikyo couldn't stand Kagome. Kagome never seemed to be without a smile and even at that age, Kikyo was mature. But, as they grew older, they got closer and Kikyo has been something of an older sister to Kagome. I think that Kikyo blames herself for letting Kagome become involved with you."

Sesshomaru nodded. His father had suggested the same thing. Kikyo was very protective over Kagome, and had even demanded that Tsukiko be brought to her so that she could watch him, but he declined in his normal way, and that caused Kikyo to stomp out of his home in a fury.

When Bankotsu left the office, he turned and looked over the paperwork that Goshinki had given to him. Kagome had a gift for business. It was clear that Hojo had taught her well. In fact, many of her dealings shocked and surprised him. He would have pulled the same things she had, but she did it without a care of whom she might hurt in the long run. What mattered to her was the business.

When it was time for him to return home, he made the decision that he would get some alone time with Kagome. The nurse could kiss his ass. He needed to sit down and talk with Kagome and find out if she was starting to remember things. He needed to be the one who told her about what happened between them. He wanted to be the one to explain.

The drive home was tiring. His father had called and explained to him that Tsukiko was getting anxious to see his mother and he didn't know how much longer he could withhold Kagome from him. As he pulled up to the house, he noticed that Inu Yasha's car was in the driveway, parked in his favorite parking space. Sighing, he parked right behind his half-brother, and shut the car's engine off.

When he entered the house, he heard a sound that he never thought that he would hear again. Kagome's laughter filled his ears and he followed the sound to his family room. Inside the spacious room, he found Kagome, Inu Yasha, and Shiori watching a movie on the television. He quietly slid into the room and walked over to the couch.

Shiori's eyes widened and she was about to jump up and move over to where Kagome was sitting, but stopped when he growled at her. Her eyes narrowed and she watched as he lowered himself into the seat next to Kagome.

Kagome felt her body grow stiff as she felt Sesshomaru sit down beside her. It was odd. She should be happy to see him, but it was as if her body was angry at him and didn't want him near her. She watched him lean back, and waited for him to wrap his arm around her shoulders, but it never came and now, she was more confused than ever.

Sesshomaru knew that Kagome was looking at him, but he simply could not meet her eyes. Every single time he looked at her, all of his guilt came rushing up and he mentally scolded himself on the lack of control he had over himself.

When Shiori stood up a short time later, she announced that it was time for Kagome to get some rest, and motioned for Kagome to stand. But, before she could walk to her nurse, Sesshomaru's hand encircled her arm and he glanced at the nurse.

"I will escort her to bed. You have the rest of the evening off." He said, his golden eyes challenging Shiori to argue with him. And, as usual, the nurse did not disappoint.

"Kagome is my patient. I am the one who is to be looking after her. After all, don't you have someone's life to ruin before you head off to bed?" She sneered, her violet eyes narrowing. She watched as Sesshomaru's normally stoic face quickly changed into one of pure rage. However, it was Kagome who stopped the impending fight.

"It's ok, Shiori. Let him escort me. I will see you tomorrow." Kagome said, giving the nurse a soft smile. She watched as the bat hanyou hesitated, but then finally nod.

"Very well. I will speak with you in the morning, Kagome. But, if you should need me, just call." Shiori replied, finally giving in. She watched as Kagome took Sesshomaru's hand and growled loudly when they disappeared upstairs.

Inu Yasha shook his head and muttered, "You might as well give it up. What he wants, he gets. Right now, he wants to be alone with Kagome."

"No, what he wants is to sooth his conscience over all the crap that he put her through. He is using her injury for his own selfish needs." Shiori shot back, her long silver hair swishing back and forth as she spoke.

Chuckling, Inu Yasha turned his attention back to the television and ignored the young woman who dropped down into the seat next to him. He bit back a smile and began to wonder if she had ever thought about dating another hanyou.

* * *

Ayame stood at the door and watched with mournful eyes as the men took the furniture out of her apartment. Well, her former apartment. She had just been evicted, and now, she was homeless. Ever since that day that they appeared on 'Jakotsu', her life had been nothing but miserable.

When her grandfather disowned her, he had basically thrown her out with only the clothes on her back. Try as she did, he simply refused to forgive her for her sins, and informed her that he had called the members of their pack and she would not find anyone who would help her.

At first, she thought that she had run away far enough to escape her past, but it seemed that everywhere she went, she was recognized. It got so bad that she finally cut and dyed her hair, just to get some peace. She thought that she found a home in the small town of Noji, but sadly, there were no jobs that would pay enough to allow her to live, and so, she had to move on.

The few friends she did make quickly left when they discovered who she was and what she did. It was as if she was never going to be allowed to put that part of her life behind her.

She walked into her bare living room and noticed a magazine that had been underneath the couch. Walking over, she picked it up and realized that on the cover, Sesshomaru stood in front of his family's building, his arms crossed over his chest, and he looked mean. Well, of all people, she could testify to just how mean he was.

She could also tell stories about just how cruel Kagura could be. The woman managed to do as she promised and spread the news of what she had done all over the place. Now, here she was, and she was lonely.

Her life was in shambles, and there was nothing that she could do about it. Now she knew exactly how Kagome felt. Now she knew just how much Kagome had suffered and all she could do was stay far away and out of Kagome's and her son's life. Before she left town, she visited Keyana's grave and even placed flowers on the small pup's headstone. She left the grave site sick and angry at herself. Perhaps if Kagome's pregnancy had been different, the pup would have survived.

As she looked around, she heard a knock on her door and was curious as to who it was. No one ever came to visit her, and so, she could only think that the person must be lost or looking for another tenant. After all, she didn't live there come morning.

Opening the door, she looked up into the red eyes of a very handsome man. The man grinned down at her and said, "Good evening, Ayame. It would seem that you and I have someone in common. I believe that you are in need of a new home, and I am in need of your help. Work with us, and you will never have to worry about anything ever again."

Ayame listened carefully to his words. Biting her lip, she asked, "And who do you think that we have in common?"

The man's grin grew wider and said, "Sesshomaru Taisho." Suddenly, things were looking much brighter for the young wolf and she opened the door wider to let her visitor in.

* * *

Once inside her spacious room, Sesshomaru watched as Kagome moved around to the side of the bed and then sit down on the silky comforter. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him lower his head, and emerge himself deep within his thoughts.

Finally, she could not help herself. She wanted answers, damn it, and she wanted them now. "What in the hell is wrong with you?" She demanded, her tone sharp.

Sesshomaru's head jerked up and he stared disbelievingly at the young woman before him. She rose to her feet and placed her hands on her hips.

"I want to know why you are acting so weird around me, Sesshomaru. I also want to know why my own mother can't come and visit me, and why are Kikyo and Bankotsu fighting each other?" She asked, her voice growing louder with each question.

Sesshomaru really didn't know how to respond to her questions. But, from the way she was glaring at him, she wouldn't rest until she got answers.

"You and your mother had a falling out years ago. Kikyo and Bankotsu are fighting because Kikyo doesn't want to give your mother the chance to get back into your good graces, especially since you can't remember what happened to cause your falling out, and Bankotsu feels that Kikyo needs to butt out and let you decide what you want to do. As for what happened between you and myself, well...I'm afraid that is a topic that will take some time to explain." Sesshomaru said, his voice calm.

Kagome took in the new information. Ok, this was a start, but something else kept bothering her. She kept seeing two tiny faces looking up at her, and she kept hearing a name echo in her mind. Biting her lip and fearing what she might hear, she needed to ask. "Sesshomaru, who is Keyana?"

Hearing his pup's name spill from Kagome's mouth nearly sent Sesshomaru to his knees. To this day, he blamed himself for her death. Kagome had gone through so much because of his foolishness, and now, she was seeing their daughter in her mind and wanted to know why. Well, he would not deny his daughter. Those days ended when he learned that he was a father.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Kagome and calmly said, "Keyana was our daughter. I'm sorry, Kagome, but Keyana died in your arms."

He was about to tell her about Tsukikomaru, but when her face crumpled and she began to sway dangerously, he quickly gathered her in his arms and held her close. However, she jerked away from him and stumbled away, her tears streaming down her face.

Turning and glaring at him, she snarled, "Why didn't you tell me about her before now? Is it because of you that she is dead? Did you kill my puppy, Sesshomaru?" When he didn't reply, Kagome screamed, "TELL ME, DAMN IT!"

"Yes, I did."


	14. Chapter 14

Shiori came into the room and watched as Inu Yasha gently rocked the sobbing woman in his arms. She cut her violet glare towards Sesshomaru and snapped, "I don't know what you did or said to her, but if you wanted her to be on the verge of a breakdown, congratulations, you succeeded."

Sesshomaru growled at the young woman and then heard a loud, feminine voice. He glanced at Shiori and noticed a large smirk on her face. But, before he could demand answers, Kikyo's voice rang out.

"What in the hell did you do to my cousin?" She demanded, and quickly rushed to Kagome's side. Bankotsu and Suikotsu were right behind her and watching the scene with wide and concerned eyes. Before anyone could utter a word, Kagome's hand snaked out and she grabbed Kikyo's.

"K-kikyo! He killed my puppy. Sesshomaru killed my little girl!" She sobbed and began to cry even harder, the pain of knowing that she was a mother to a dead puppy was overwhelming her and she didn't know how to handle it.

Kikyo felt her body grow cold. Slowly, she turned her head and stared at Sesshomaru, wondering if the male youkai was either that cruel or that stupid. Suikotsu quickly moved forward and told Inu Yasha to lay Kagome down on her back. He had brought his medical bag, mostly because when he heard Shiori's upset tone, he knew that he would probably need it. Now, he was glad that he listened to his instincts. He quickly prepared a sedative and administered it, and then watched as the medicine quickly began to work.

Bankotsu moved over to Sesshomaru and whispered, "Did you really tell her that you killed Keyana?" When Sesshomaru's head bowed, Bankotsu paled and then looked towards Kikyo who was whispering furiously to her husband. Finally, Suikotsu handed Kikyo his medical bag and then lifted Kagome off of the bed and into his arms.

Kikyo shook her head and said, "If you think that you are ever going to get closer to her again, then you have another think coming. This ends now. Are you trying to kill her, Sesshomaru? Do you want her so over-come with grief that her only way out is for her to take her own life? Or is this your sick way of trying to gain full control over Tsukikomaru by getting his mother out of the way?"

Now he was angry. Snarling, he moved towards Kikyo, but was quickly stopped when Bankotsu stepped in his way. "No." He said, his tone quiet. "No more. Not tonight. She is going with Kikyo, and I will return tomorrow for her belongings. Sesshomaru, she can't heal with you around. I'm sorry, but this time, I am siding with my cousin."

The room cleared out pretty quickly and soon Sesshomaru found himself standing in an empty room, alone. He moved to the bed and sighed when the scent of Kagome's tears hit his nose. Growling with every ounce of rage that he felt, he grabbed the pillow and ripped it apart, sending feathers floating everywhere.

He had made a great error in answering Kagome's anguished question. What he should have said was that because he had not been around to help relieve some of the burden off of her and taken care of her while she was pregnant, their daughter might still be alive. However, he had been unprepared for her outburst and answered it with brutal honest...honesty that he should have been more gentle with.

Stalking out of the room, and leaving the mess for Jaken to clean, he made his way to his study and walked over to his mini-bar that held his favorite whisky. He needed a stiff drink and would probably wind up finishing the bottle.

* * *

Kikyo watched as Bankotsu gently placed Kagome into the bed and covered her. Bankotsu had come over earlier in the evening to discuss Kagome's mother, and had heard Suikotsu attempting to calm Shiori. Now, it seemed that he had finally started to see just how selfish Sesshomaru really was.

Once Kagome was settled, Suikotsu checked her over once more and then followed the cousins out of the room and closed the door behind him. Kikyo led the way back into the living room and then turned to her cousin.

"Do you now understand why I have fought so hard to keep him away from her?" She asked, her tone weary.

Bankotsu sighed and slowly nodded. "Kikyo, he does love her. I know he does, but I will agree that at this time, being around him is not conductive to her well-being." He said.

"It's always about him." Kikyo complained, her hands waving about in the air. "If he doesn't have everyone's attention, then he has to make other suffer. I really wish I could purify his ass, but sadly, that particular practice is no longer acceptable nor is it legal."

Patting his cousin on her shoulder, Bankotsu turned and walked from the room to answer his cell phone, which was currenly on vibrate. When he saw who was calling, he sighed and pressed the button that would accept the call.

"Kouga, you are not going to believe what in the hell happened tonight."

* * *

Inu Yasha looked up at the large house and sighed. It had been so long since he set foot into his father's house. Ever since he had been cast out, the word home felt lost to him and he needed to find some way of rebuilding the bridge. Now, it was as if his wish had been granted, though at Kagome's expense.

Pulling into the long driveway, Inu Yasha parked his car and climbed out. He saw the doors to the massive house open and watched as his father walked outside and towards him.

"What are you doing here, Inu Yasha?" Inu Taisho asked, and for once, the older Taisho's tone was not harsh.

Inu Yasha took in a deep breath. "I thought that you would like to know that you will have to care for Tsukiko for a while longer. Sesshomaru told Kagome about Keyana tonight, and I guess he made it sound as if he had something to do with their daughter's death." He explained.

He watched as his father paled, and then nodded when his father motioned for him to follow him into the house. The two men walked into the study and Inu Yasha watched as his father walked to the small bar, and poured himself a stiff drink. The elder male took several long sips, and then asked, "And what of Kagome? How is she doing?"

"Not well." Inu Yasha replied. "Dad, she looked like she was going to breakdown. She kept crying and screaming that Sesshomaru killed her puppy."

Inu Taisho felt nothing more than rage as he thought about all of the ways his son could have delivered such devestating news to Kagome. Knowing Sesshomaru, he probably told him in his normal, cold way. Kagome needed to be handled with kid gloves at this point, and he knew that the rift between the couple was now wider than ever.

Sitting down on the couch, Inu Yasha allowed a small smile to grace his lips. Finally, he was not the one in trouble and Sesshomaru could take his place as the blacksheep of the family. There really was no place like home.

* * *

"The female wolf is on board." Muso said, as he walked into his elder brother's office. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

Naraku turned in his chair and grinned. "I knew she would be itching to get her claws into him for that humiliating display on that little television show. Now, tell me about Kit Yurakami. Tell me everything, and then I will tell you what I plan on doing to her." He purred, his red eyes lazy with pleasure.

Muso shifted uncomfortably, but then sighed. "Naraku," He began, his tone timid, "I could not find anything out about her, except that she was the wife of Hojo Yurakami, and that supposedly, they had a very loving relationship, despite the rumors that he was gay. But, I did find out that the company that is repelling the rumors about Hojo's sexuality belongs to the Taisho's."

Leaning back in his chair, Naraku allowed his eyes to move to the ceiling. "I wonder what she looks like. I bet she is very beautiful. She has to be to trap a man as powerful as Hojo was. It was a shame that his plane went down, isn't it?" He said, a chuckle escaping his lips.

Muso smirked. Oh yeah. That had been a great plan. Kill off Hojo, and take his company from the grieving widow, but he also remembered that the plan had failed where Kit Yurakami was concerned. She managed to refute all of their arguments and found against their hostle takeover. So, the new plan was for Naraku to find her, and to seduce her. Once she fell for him, he would take her company, and leave her behind; just like all of his other whores.

Both men began to laugh, and soon were toasting to their impending success. Victory had never been so close.

* * *

The room was silent and Kagome stared up at the ceiling. The effects of the sedative quickly wore off and she allowed all of what Sesshomaru said to her to echo in her ears. She thought about all of the documents he had her sign and she narrowed her eyes.

Was it possible that he was using her condition to further his own agenda? And, who in the hell was Tsukikomaru? That name continued to echo in her mind, and she struggled to remember. Closing her eyes, she fought to swim through all and could hear a familiar voice speaking to her.

She could hear the male's voice, so tender and so loving. It was clearly not Sesshomaru. Soon, a face began to form in the dark clouds of her mind and she could feel her tears flowing anew. In her greatest times of need, he came to her. First had been in school, then Goshinki had said that he came to her and took her to the Americas, and now, he came to her when her heart was hurting.

She felt safe, and protected. He continued to murmur soothing words, words meant to calm and ease her pain, but her heart cried out for mercy, knowing that when she opened her eyes, he would not be there. He would never be there again.

As Hojo came closer to her, in his arms was a dark haired pup, one who was watching her with bright, golden eyes. Hojo smiled and softly said, "Except for the dark hair, she looks just like Tsukikomaru when he was a pup. We love you, Kagome and we miss you and Tsukiko."

Kagome's eyes snapped open and she gasped. Now she knew why she kept hearing the name Tsukikomaru. Her heart had been crying out for her pup, the twin of her dead little girl. Stumbling out of the bed, Kagome moved towards the door, sick with grief and anguish. When she turned the knob, the door swung open, revealing a startled Bankotsu.

Bankotsu studied Kagome for several seconds before opening his arms and allowing her to fall into them. Sobbing, Kagome buried her face in her cousin's chest, and allowed herself a few minutes of mourning, before regaining her composure.

"I want to see my son. I want Tsukikomaru here with me." She said, her tone hard. "Sesshomaru will not take him from me like he did our daughter."

What could he say? He very well could not say no, and try to defend Sesshomaru. Instead, he silently nodded, but then said, "I will go and get him, on the condition that you go and lay down. It is late, Kagome, and he is probably asleep. Let him stay at his grandfather's home, and tomorrow, I will bring him to you."

Nodding, Kagome allowed him to lead her back to her bed and was silent as he covered her up with a blanket. Once he was gone from the room, Kagome's eyes turned to the window and she say that the moon was in it's cresent form, reminding her of Sesshomaru.

A cruel smirk formed on her lips. Payback was a bitch and when she regained all of her memories, she was going to make him sorry that he had ever been born.


	15. Chapter 15

Three long, frustrating weeks. He last saw Kagome three weeks ago, and she looked as through he had taken a sword and gutted her. Well, actually, he did. He gutted her with his words, and his cool demeanor.

Now, as he sat in his office, his head pounding from the massive headache that he was currently experiencing, he was attempting to put together a strategy that would keep Kagome's company from falling into the hands of Naraku Onigumo.

Naraku. Just the sound of that fool's name made him want to tear flesh. He heard rumors that Naraku was planning on dismanteling Kagome's company and sell off pieces of it to the highest bidder. So far, the bastard had been stopped before any real damage could be done. However, he could just bet that Onigumo was far from finished and would not give in without a battle.

He read a few of the contracts that lay before him, before placing the papers down and standing up. His entire body ached and the fact that he hadn't been sleeping didn't help matters much, either.

He knew that his father was furious with him. Each time his sire looked his way, he would bare his fangs and growl. Of course, all he would do is meet the glares with his usual look of indifference, but inside, he knew he was getting exactly what he deserved.

Tsukikomaru was now with his mother, and quite content, from what he heard Inu Yasha tell his father. Kagome, on the other hand, seemed agitated and would only calm down in the pup's presence. It was a bit strange to hear his younger brother and father talking. After all these years of bitter estrangement, it seemed that the two finally met on a common ground: They were both angry at him.

Well, who cared? He had a job to do and would continue to do it. With his father avoiding him, he could get the work done on Kagome's company that needed to be done. He made sure to go to all of the meetings, answer all of the messages, and call all of the important people who needed their orders for what was to be done for that particular job.

Once he managed to finish her duties, he began to concentrate on his own company. But, the stress was beginning to wear him down. He could feel the exhaustion that continued to threaten him, and knew that he would soon need to sleep.

But, despite all that had gone wrong, he still loved Kagome. She, their pup, and Rin were the most important beings in his life. But, he could feel his hopes for a family slipping through his fingers, and for the life of him, he didn't know how to stop the down-ward slide.

His friends still came to visit him, but they were now dividing their time between him and Kagome, and though he did prefer his time alone to reflect on events, he was also lonely. It would have once amused him to know that he, Sesshomaru, could feel loneliness, but he was indeed lonely.

He turned his golden eyes towards the window and looked out over the horizon. He wondered what Kagome was doing and if she was thinking about him. If only he could go back in time to prevent all that she had endured, but he had to face reality and reality was that Kagome, at the moment, hated him. And, for good reason.

* * *

Kagome laughed and waved at the small hanyou pup as he tickled his uncle mercilessly. Inu Yasha's yelps and whines could be heard and soft chuckles surrounded her.

She signed and looked up at the sky, her good mood faltering as saw the silvery clouds that floated by. 'They are nearly the same color of Sesshomaru's hair.' She mused, but then angrily shook her head. No, she was not going to ruin her good time by thinking of that arrogant ass.

However, a small part of her felt as though perhaps she had blown things all out of proportion. Sesshomaru was not known for his sympathy, or ability to soften words. Suikotsu gently explained all that had happened with Keyana, and once he was finished, she concluded that Sesshomaru could not be held responsible for a medical condition.

Still, as the story of their break up unfolded, mostly because everyone involved came to her and told her their part in the situation, she could not help but be angry and hurt that he would think her capable of such a disgusting act. He should have known better than to think that she would ever cheat on him. But, he dismissed her as though she were nothing but a piece of garbage, and now, he was getting to experience what it felt like to be the outcast.

"You having a good time?" A male voice asked. Glancing up, she grinned and nodded. "I can't believe that he is so big." She sighed.

Bankotsu nodded. "Yeah, he is going to get bigger, though." He murmured. He glanced around and watched as Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku, Kagura, and Hiten cheered the small hanyou on, while the eldest Taisho laughed with Kagome's mother.

Kikyo was snapping pictures of the wrestling match, while Goshinki and Suikotsu coached the young pup in what to do next. He laughed when Inu Yasha yelped as Tsukiko's knee found his groin.

"Well, that's what he gets for picking on someone smaller than him." Bankotsu snickered, his eyes watering as he watched Inu Yasha cup his aching balls.

Kagome laughed and watched as a small girl ran over to Inu Taisho and grabbed onto his leg. The girl looked slightly familiar, and she nudged Bankotsu. "Who is that little girl?" She asked.

Bankotsu followed Kagome's eyes and quietly said, "Her name is Rin, and she is Sesshomaru's daughter."

Kagome's head snapped around as she stared at her cousin. "What do you mean that she is his daughter?" She demanded. "Are you telling me that he slept with someone else and stayed with her for her pregnancy?"

"Whoa," Bankotsu said, his eyes wary. "Rin is Sesshomaru's adopted daughter. He found her about a year after you left, abandoned in an allyway. He chose to raise the girl and as for other women, no. He refuses to even look at another woman romantically."

Kagome's mind processed the information slowly and didn't notice that Bankotsu got up and moved over to the table with the food. She also didn't notice that Rin was now coming towards her, a large grin upon her face.

"Rin's name is Rin." Rin announced, her smile almost blinding. She looked at Kagome, who in turn, smiled at the girl and softly replied, "My name is Kagome."

Rin looked over at Tsukikomaru and asked, "Grandpa says that he is my brother, and that my daddy is his daddy. So, does that mean that you are my mommy. We have the same color hair and eyes."

Kagome looked into those wide, hopeful eyes and could tell that the little girl had clearly not picked up Sesshomaru's personality. But, before she could reply, Tsukiko ran over and grabbed Rin's hand. "Want to play tag with me? I'll be it first." He said, and tugged the girl away, leaving Kagome to ponder everything that she was feeling.

How was it that Sesshomaru, the cold hearted, arrogant bastard that he was, raise a sweet, loving, child like that, and let's not let the fact that she was human escape notice, either.

Kagome could see many similiarites between her and Rin. The little girl loved to laugh and it was clear that she didn't see any differences between her, and the inu youkai that was around her. To her, they were simply family.

Kouga noticed that Kagome was deep in thought, and he got up and moved to sit beside her. "So, what are you thinking about?" He asked, his blue eyes staring into hers.

Kagome still felt uneasy around the wolf, mainly because of everything that he admitted to doing to her, but he didn't push, and he did the one thing that Sesshomaru had as of yet to do: He apologized.

"I'm just shocked that Sesshomaru is actually raising a human child. I thought he hated humans." She said, her voice soft.

Kouga watched Kagome carefully and then slowly nodded. "He does." He said, and watched as she turned her eyes to him. "But, there are a few exceptions. You and Rin are the only humans who are able to walk around and claim that you have nothing to fear from him. He loves Rin, Kagome. He loves her because she came along at a time in his life where all he had was work and nothing else, save for the knowledge that yet again, he was the reason why you suffered."

"He has raised Rin in hopes that one day, he can forgive himself for all of the pain that he has caused. Not only to you, but to both of your pups, as well. He also loves you, Kagome. Nothing has ever phased that youkai so deeply until that day of that show you were both on. When he found out that he was lied to and that you suffered because of Ayame's lies and jealousy, he was lost. He didn't know how to deal with the emotions that came with losing a pup, nor did he know how to repair the damage that was done to you."

Kouga took in a deep breath and looked over at the pups, aware that Kagome's eyes were intently upon him. He took in another breath before continuing. "The worst thing a parent can experience is losing a pup, or in a human's case, a child. While you experienced losing Keyana, he experienced the loss of both Keyana, and Tsukiko. When you ran away from Japan, he didn't know if he would ever see his pup again, nor did he know if he would ever see you again. That hurt him badly. I'm not saying forgive him for all that he has done, Kagome. I'm telling you, that despite what you think and feel, that youkai loves you more than his own life. Before you make the decision to cut him out of your life forever, you owe it to yourself, Tsukiko, and Sesshomaru, to talk to the father of your pup and try to find some kind of common ground. Like it or not, Sesshomaru is part of your family, through Tsukiko. You are parents, and will be so for the rest of your life."

Kouga nodded over at Ginta and leaned over to kiss Kagome's cheek. "Please think about what I have said." He murmured, and then gave her a grin. Shaking her head, she could not help but smile as her eyes turned towards the children as they giggled over some sort of secret that they were currently sharing.

Standing up, she told Kikyo that she was going inside for a few moments to use the bathroom. But, once inside, she made her way to the room that was currently hers, and she pulled out a briefcase that Goshinki had brought along with her belongings, and pulled out a few papers. She scanned them, and realized just how much she had missed. She'd have a lot of catch up to do when she returned to work, it seemed. She placed the papers back into the briefcase, and snapped it shut.

Suikotsu told her that her problems could improve with time. She didn't tell anyone, but she had slowly regained her ability to read, and was remembering things, though some things were still cloudy. The very first thing that she remembered was the night that Sesshomaru took her virginity.

Sitting down on her bed, she recalled how tender, and gentle he was, and she could hear his words that he would not rest until she was completely satisfied. She could even remember the pain of when he entered her body, and claimed her innocence, but whispered to her and soothed her as she cried.

Shaking her head, she mentally cursed herself. She would not forgive him. Damn it, she wasn't going to simply ignore all that had transpired between them.

Sinking down to the floor, she wondered if things had been different, would they be together now, enjoying the life that went along with being a family? She didn't know.

He didn't even try to get in touch with her. After that night three weeks ago, he didn't even try to call or come see her. If he cared so damn much, why didn't he come?

No, Kouga was wrong. He didn't love her. His actions proved that.

* * *

Naraku slammed his fist down on the table and glared at the occupants of the room. The female wolf was watching him with narrowed eyes, and Muso was fidgeting like crazy. Someone was about to get it.

"So, who wants to talk first?" Naraku demanded, his red eyes flashing dangerously. He watched as Ayame stood up.

"It would seem that Sesshomaru is a dog who can learn new tricks. Word has it that he is running both Kit Yurakami's company, along with his own." Ayame said, her green eyes glittering. "However, I have it on good word that he is wearing down. Rumor has it that he is close to breaking down from exhaustion."

Naraku smirked. He liked this particular wolf. She didn't mince words, nor did she have a problem with getting the information that she wanted. Yes, Ayame was a valuable tool. The idiot beside her, however, was useless.

Nodding at his brother, Naraku waited for Muso to speak. The younger Onigumo took in a deep breath and then shook his head. "I'm sorry, Naraku. I've done all I can do, but it seems that Kit Yurakami's company is stronger than ever. Sesshomaru Taisho has made sure of it, and I can't find away around him." He muttered.

Naraku stood up, knocking over his chair as he made his way over to his brother. "You mean to tell me that all of the fucking work that I have put into gaining that bitch's company has been a waste? You said that she was vulnerable." He growled.

Ayame sighed. "If I could make a suggestion." She said, and when Naraku's eyes slid towards her, she said, "Why bother with her company, when you could have Sesshomaru's? He is weak, especially since he has been concentrating on protecting Yurakami's company, and that means, his company is now open for attack."

Naraku's angry face relaxed into one of thought. Turning from the two before him, he walked back to his chair, picked it up, and sat back down. He hadn't thought of taking Taisho's company. But, the wolf was right. The bastard was, in deed, vulnerable.

"Well, it would seem that you have managed to surpass my brother in the usefullness department, Ayame. Get me all of the information you can about the stockholders of his company. If I can't go for one bitch, I'll go after another." Naraku sneered, his eyes twinkling with the possibilites.

Ayame gave the man before her a mock bow, and turned to leave the office. Muso turned to follow her, but Naraku's voice stopped him.

"Close the door, brother. We need to discuss your inability to perform."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Between packing, working, raising kids, I am happy to say, I have finally figured out how I am going to get them together. My problems with this fic is that I wrote myself into a corner, and could not find a way out of it. But, I finally found a way, and hope that you guys enjoy this chapter. Yes, there will be a happy ending, and I believe that there will be either 2 or 3 plus an epilogue to go. Thank you everyone who nominated this fic, and know that it means a lot to me that you guys are so understanding about my situation. It takes a lot of pressure off of me, and helps me concentrate on my fics.

Also, to those who don't know how I operate...I never write in OC. I just can't seem to do it. I make the characters act in the way I think that they would act in the situation. OC, I believe, is whatever the author believes and is considered to be believeable by the audience. That being said, please know that with me, you are never going to get strictly OC. I just don't think that it is possible to keep characters in OC 100 of the time. Ok, I'm stepping off the soap box and going back to my keyboard. I am writing the next chapter and as promised, this fic will be done by the time I move. Once I settle in at my new home in Maine, I will begin Brother, once more. Kogasangel.

* * *

As she sat in her office, many things ran through Ayame's mind. How she got herself into this mess, and why she got into this mess, were the two things that were at the forefront.

To be perfectly honest with herself, she didn't really care for Sesshomaru, but it was his money that held her interest, and so, she went after him. Once she discovered that he was about to be married, she made sure to feed him enough false information about Kagome that would cause him to become so angry, that he would not allow the girl to speak.

But, once she fell from grace and had to fend for herself, Ayame realized that in the process of destroying Kagome, she destroyed herself as well. It was her love for her grandfather and their home that placed her upon this path, and now, she didn't have either.

It would seem that despite all of Karma's attempts to knock her down, now she had the opportunity to shine, and this time, she would not waste it.

Standing up, Ayame reached for her purse and moved to the door. She opened it and called out to her secretary that she was going leaving for the day and heading to the spa. Once she was sure that her secretary heard her, she smiled and walked to the elevator.

She needed to do this. She needed to start fresh and this was the first of many steps.

* * *

Kagome bit her lip and stared at the reports. She had been back to work for less than a week, and was shocked to find that deals she had been trying to close were already closed and new ones were waiting for her attention.

Sighing, she turned in her chair and stared out the large window. Sesshomaru really outdid himself, it would seem. He even made sure that her competition had been thwarted and the smear against Hojo's name was cleared up.

A frown crosser her lips and she looked down. She hadn't seen or spoken to Sesshomaru and she could not help but worry if he was alright. Despite her best efforts, she found that her heart simply could not deny that it was in love with the stoic youkai. She wanted to hate him, she really did, but could not do it.

Tsukikomaru was constantly asking to see his father and she was running out of excuses as to why she could not call him. Inu Yasha and Inu Taisho were frequently stopping by, but that did not ease the small pup's yearning for his sire.

Goshinki finally sat down and talked to her, apologizing for butting into a situation that he had no business butting into. She could tell that he felt guilty and ashamed for all that happened to her, and though it was hard at first, she accepted his apology and they were now trying to move on from the incident.

Juromaru and Kageromaru returned from the states and reported that her company over there was booming. In fact, the young lady in charge of that branch of her company was so good at closing deals, people wondered if she and Kit Yurakami trained at the same school for business. With that worry gone from her mind, and the fight between her and Goshinki resolved, all that was left for her to do was decide exactly where she wanted to go from here.

If she decided to stay in Japan, she would have to deal with Sesshomaru, either personally, or legally. He had rights to Tsukiko and it would be wrong of her to take him away from his family, especially since he became friends with Rin and decided that he was to be her protector.

A small smile crossed her face when she recalled that they met up with Inu Taisho and Rin at the park and watched as the pups played together. Another kid, much bigger than Rin, decided that he wanted the swing that she was on and marched up to her and told her to get off. Tsukiko jumped off of his swing and glared at the kid and allowed a growl to come forth.

Clearly the boy had not been around that many youkai or hanyous, and nervously backed away. Tsukiko told him to never speak to his sister again if he knew what was good for him, and once the words left his mouth, the boy ran off, his face a study in fright.

Kagome laughed, in spite of herself, and could not help but think that she was listening to a miniature Sesshomaru. Tsukiko managed to catch his father's cold tone perfectly, and the steely glare that was directed at the human boy was an identical to his father's.

Rin, of course, was grateful to Tsukiko and jumped off her swing and hugged the pup, who turned red from embarrassment and tried, unsuccessfully, to get her to let go. Of course, the human boy's mother marched over, and began to yell at Kagome, but Inu Taisho stepped in and put the woman in her place for raising such a brat, who liked picking on girls.

Now, as she reached up to massage her aching temples, she needed to come to a decision quickly. Either she stay in Japan, or leave for America, but she could not keep everyone in limbo, waiting for her decision.

Walking over to the door, she opened it and called out to Nani, who was typing furiously at her computer. She told the girl that she was leaving for the day, and when the girl nodded, Kagome grabbed her purse and walked towards the elevator.

She needed to get outside and into the fresh air. She needed time to think and knew that she could find what she needed at the park. It would be nice to sit underneath the trees and think. It would also be an opportunity to think about her situation with Sesshomaru.

* * *

Golden eyes stared at the papers before him, but he simply could not stay focused enough to read what they were saying. Growling, he threw the papers down and leaned back in his seat. His head hurt and he wondered how long it had been since he had a decent night's sleep, or a hot meal that wasn't from a local fast food restaurant.

His father and brother were constantly barging into his office, demanding answers from him about deals that were in the works, but since Kagome now had control of the company, he just didn't see the point in continuing with the charade of caring.

Business simply did not hold its appeal, as it once did. Sure, he was still feared, but because his attentions had been on Kagome's company for several weeks, plus he was defending her deceased husband's reputation, he just didn't have time for anything else.

He missed her. Gods, he missed her so much. She was the first human not to look at him and cringe. Even Inu Yasha's mother cringed when he came near, simply because of his cold demeanor. Kagome, however, saw past the coldness and cruelty, and saw someone who needed her love and was going to get it, whether they liked it or not. It was simply her way.

He remembered the first time they met, and after five minutes into the meeting, Kagome announced that he was the biggest asshole she ever had the displeasure of encountering. Of course, anyone with half a brain would have not dared to say such a thing to him, but Kagome had the gall that most would envy, and because of that gall, she was now the most powerful woman in business.

There were nights when he sat in his study at home, and thought about how life would have been if not for the lies that tore them apart. He could picture himself coming home in the early evenings and as he walked through the door of their home, being assaulted by three small pups, one of them being Rin, because he had no doubt that fate had chosen him to protect her. He would look up to see his beautiful mate, his Kagome, standing in the doorway of the dining room and wait patiently for her turn to be kissed. Then, after the pups were in bed, he would take his mate into their bedroom, where he would make love to her all night long, showing her just how much she meant to him.

But, it was always the same when he opened his eyes. She was not there. Their surviving pup was in a strange bed, and he was alone. He was so damn tired of being alone.

He wished that he could put all of the blame upon that wolf, Ayame. But, in the end, the blame lay squarely on his shoulders. He should have known Kagome better than that, and because he failed to see the truth, her devotion, he lost her.

When his phone rang, Sesshomaru simply stared at it. He knew that it was probably his father and he was not in the mood to deal with him. Instead, he allowed the phone to ring, and closed his eyes. All he wanted to do was sleep.

* * *

"Are you sure this time? I'd hate to have to deal with you should your information not be correct, brother." Naraku said, his crimson eyes staring hard at his brother.

Muso gulped, but nodded. "Kit Yurakami has the proxies necessary to bring down the Tashios. However, she had not used them, yet. Maybe we can get on her good side and gain the proxies from her. She would be a valuable ally." He said, his tone hopeful.

Naraku narrowed his eyes. For once, his idiot brother had a good idea. Getting Kit Yurakami to give him the proxies he needed would give him the necessary power to overthrown that over-stuffed dog and his family, thus making him the most powerful in Japan.

Muso let out the breath he had been holding and watched as his brother slowly nodded. "I think that you might be onto something, for once. Alright, invite Kit Yurakami to the meeting that will be held next week at Tashio Corp, and explain that I have an interesting proposition for her. Don't give specifics, but make sure that her interest is perked." Naraku ordered, his tone softer.

Muso nodded and left the large office. Oh, how he hated his brother. Hell, he never did want to get into this kind of business, but had been forced when Naraku explained that if he didn't, then he would be disowned from the family and tossed out into the world without a penny to his name.

But, Naraku was not aware that he had been slowly gaining information on his illegal dealings and was storing them up, just in case his brother decided to carry out his threat. He could not go to Kagura, because unlike him, she stood up to their eldest brother and was disowned, but managed to make her own way in the world and was now successful.

But, as much as he would like to spend the day plotting his brother's downfall, he had a call to make, and so, walked into his office and sat down at his desk. He pulled out his appointment book and scanned the phone numbers for the number to Kit Yurakami's office.

Once he dialed the number, he sat back and waited for the line to be picked up. When he was told that Kit had left for the day, he told her assistant that he wanted to invite her to a meeting that was to be held at Tashio Corp. Satisfied that she would receive the message, Muso set the phone back into its cradle and then turned to look out his window.

If this Kit Yurakami was even close to being the terror in the boardroom as he had heard, perhaps she would knock his brother down a few pegs before laughing in his face. Unlike Naraku, he knew just how much power that woman held at her fingertips, and whereas Naraku was only focusing on Japan, Kit Yurakami held a vast amount of power in several different countries. No, Naraku would learn it wasn't a good idea to fuck with that woman, and who knows? Maybe she might learn that it was Naraku who leaked her husband's sexual preference to the papers.

* * *

Kagome grinned and watched as the children played on the nearby jungle gym. She really needed this break and managed to do a lot of thinking, but could not seem to reconcile her feelings about Sesshomaru. What he did to her was unforgivable, but then again, she did the exact same thing to him by taking Tsukiko to America and not allowing him to explain, as he did to her by not allowing her to defend herself against the accusations of her fidelity.

Glancing down at her left hand, Kagome looked at the ring Hojo had so lovingly placed upon her finger. The diamond sparked in the sunlight, and she realized that it was time for her to take it off. Hojo was gone, and she was no longer married. That, in itself, saddened her. She loved being married, but because the love was incomplete, it honestly wasn't a real marriage.

Oh, she still loved Hojo, but in the way that she loved Souta. No, her heart belonged to someone else, though try as she might, she could not get it to let go of that love. However, she just didn't know how in the hell they were going to move past what had happened between them.

Yes, they could talk, but words were not enough to convince her that there was a future for them. She did make the decision to stay in Japan, and was content with that decision. But, the decision to work things out with Sesshomaru would take some time.

As Kagome delved deeper into her thoughts, a shadow fell over her and Kagome jumped when she heard, "Is this seat taken?"

Kagome smiled and turned to look up at the newcomer, but the smile dropped when she saw who it was.

"You!"


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: This fic will be finished as of today. I am going to work on bringing If over and finishing that, as well, though I can't promise it will be done, but I'll do my best to get it finished quickly. Then, on to bigger and better things!!!

* * *

Kagome stared out at the darkened sky and sighed as she thought over the events of the past few days. In that time, she had made the firm decision to remain in Japan, and she had decided what exactly she wanted to do with Taisho Corp.

But, her decision was anything but easy. She would be giving up her ace in the hole, and didn't know if that was a good thing, or not. All she knew was this madness had to come to an end, for all of their sakes.

She turned and walked over to her closet and began to pull out her clothing for the meeting that would be held in the morning. She had to come out the victor and she would. After all, she was trained by Hojo, himself, and she would not be stopped.

Tomorrow would bring about the end of a meddlesome company, and the beginning of a new corporation. Now Japan would see why she was known as the best at what she did. She would crush those who dared cross her path, and she would make sure that when she was done, those who were her enemies would think twice about rousing her anger.

Satisfied with what she knew she had to do, Kagome turned off the lights in her bedroom and got into bed. As sleep began to claim her, she wondered if Sesshomaru were thinking about tomorrow, and if he would try to stop her.

She hoped not. She was going to enjoy this.

* * *

Naraku smirked and shook his head. His two companions were silent and staring out the windows of the car that was driving them to Taisho Corp. He knew that he could sway Kit Yurakami, and it would be very satisfying to see Sesshomaru Taisho, and his foolish family fall.

Leaning back, he asked, "Did you get confirmation that she will be there?"

Muso's eyes slid over to where his brother sat and silently nodded. "Yeah," He said, his eyes moving back to stare out the window. "She will be there."

"Good." Naraku laughed, and then narrowed his eyes when he saw that his companions were not laughing with him.

Naraku studied the wolf, and then asked, "Are you ready to confront your past, Ayame?"

Ayame turned and nodded. "I am ready, and have been ready for a while now. Today will be a real eye-opener." She said, giving the man before her a smile.

Relaxing, Naraku sat back and smiled. With Kit Yurakami's help, he would become the most powerful man in Japan, and after he destroyed Sesshomaru, then he'd go after Kit. After all, he didn't like to share power, even if it was with a beautiful woman.

When the car finally came to a stop, and the door opened, Naraku stepped out and took in a deep breath as he stared up at the tall building. He could see his own name replacing the Taisho name, and he smirked.

Motioning to his companions, he walked to the door and watched as the doorman opened it, a smile upon his face. The man wished him a good morning, but was ignored. Instead, he walked to the elevators, his mind going over the plans he was ready to reveal.

Once they were on the top floor, they were quickly shown to the boardroom, and he was not surprised to see that all of the chairs were filled, save for the ones saved for him and his companions, and another chair, which was clearly saved for Kit Yurakami.

Setting his briefcase on the table, he looked over at Sesshomaru and smirked. "So, are you ready to hand over control of your precious company, Taisho?" He sneered.

Sesshomaru's golden eyes glared over at the hanyou, and he coolly replied, "Things change, and quickly, hanyou. I won't let you take my family's legacy."

Lifting an eyebrow up, Naraku asked, "And what legacy would you be referring to? Perhaps it is the one where you knock some broad up and then leave her for Ayame."

Ayame cringed a bit, but then stiffened her shoulders. This mess was almost over, and she had to be patient. It would be worth it.

Sesshomaru's golden eyes glared over at the wolf, but noticed that she didn't bother to look his way. Instead, she kept her eyes trained on the wall that was behind Kouga. He could see the glares that were being directed in the female's direction, yet she didn't acknowledge them. It was strange to see Ayame so controlled.

Ayame took in several deep breaths, and nodded when Muso whispered to her that it would all be over soon. Like him, she was sick and tired of being a puppet for Naraku, and she was more than ready to watch him fall.

The males in the room spat insults to one another, but quickly stopped when the door opened and Kagome stepped through the door. She sighed and shook her head.

"Already?" She asked, looking down at her watch. "Most of you only arrived thirty minutes ago. This has got to be some kind of record."

Walking to her seat, Kagome knew that Sesshomaru's eyes were upon her, but she didn't dare look up at him. If she did, she was afraid that she would lose her courage to do what needed to be done. She needed her wits about her, and to do that, she needed to be the one in control. On this day, she would show everyone just how good of a teacher Hojo had been to her, and what she had learned.

Once she was seated and her papers in front of her, Kagome sat back and silently traded glances with Ayame. The female wolf looked apprehensive, but then again, she was surrounded by people who didn't care for her very much.

The male beside Ayame was softly whispering to her, and from what Kagome could see, he was a calming influence for the wolf. That was good. Those two were going to need each other's support by the time the meeting was over.

Taking in a deep breath, Kagome nodded over at the men she recognized as being on her own board of directors. They were here to observe yet another victory and she wasn't about to disappoint them. Once, they had thought to try and overthrow her, but she came back and made them see that she was their equal, if not their superior.

But, they were in for a rude surprise, too. However, that was saved for later. Right now, she had a company to ruin and she really did enjoy her victories.

Naraku stood up and gave Kit his most charming smile. He felt his body tingle with excitement when she smiled back and calmly said, "I would like to extend a most gracious thank you to Kit Yurakami for seeing fit to be here, today."

Several people clapped, including Sesshomaru's people, and Naraku smirked. The old dog was about to see just how powerful he had become. "However, I feel that this is an age where it is kill or be killed, and I feel that it is time to put a dying dog to rest." He said, staring over at Sesshomaru, his eyes never straying from the golden ones.

Kagome listened with eager ears as the man talked. Oh, he was smooth, and it was clear to her that he was trying to anger the youkai within Sesshomaru. Glancing over, she could see that Sesshomaru's eyes were slowly tinting red, meaning that his youkai was close to the surface, but was being held back by Sesshomaru, at least for now.

Inu Tashio and Inu Yasha were both sitting closely to Sesshomaru, to prevent him from attacking. Both men were clearly aware of just how far Sesshomaru had been pushing himself, and it didn't help matters to find out that the male had not slept in several days. They also knew that at the center of Sesshomaru's distraction was Kagome. The few times they did try to talk to Sesshomaru, they had been met with a silence that told them that he was very close to giving up.

For Sesshomaru to give anything up, well....it was disturbing. It was almost as if he felt defeated.

Turning her eyes back to Naraku, she found that he was looking directly at her. "Kit, I understand that you have taking firm control of your late husband's company and made it flourish." He said, and turned before he could see the dangerous narrowing of her eyes. "However, I believe that together, you and I could rule this country's economy. Therefore, I am asking that you join me against Taisho Corp. Let us bury the past behind us, and start new."

The boardroom was silent, and Kagome sat in her seat, thinking about his words. It was clear to her that Naraku wanted an answer, and she wanted to be sure that she was in complete control over herself before she answered. She had to be really careful in her reply. After all, she wouldn't want to spoil the surprise that she had planned for him.

One of her directors, an American named Carl Bender, cleared his throat and calmly asked, "Are you suggesting that our company join with yours in a partnership?"

"Yes." Naraku replied, his eyes moving over Kit's directors, and seeing that they were uncomfortable with his request. Well, they didn't matter. As long as their bitch CEO agreed. "A partnership would greatly strengthen both companies, and with Taisho Corp. out of the way, then we will have full control to spread our influence to other countries."

Kagome pushed away from the table and slowly stood up. She watched as Naraku sat down, and she knew that he was waiting for her answer. Her directors knew better than to speak up to her, especially during a meeting such as this one, and so, they sat back and stayed quiet. Their opinions would not be listened to, anyways.

Looking around the room, Kagome smiled and said, "It is no secret what I have accomplished. I've dismantled many companies, and have enjoyed it. But, I do believe that I have more to gain by merging with another company. But, it will be on my terms, and it will be what I want, and to hell with what anyone else wants."

Naraku's eyes narrowed as Kit reached down and pulled out a small pile of paper. Turning to the hanyou, Kagome asked, "Do you know what these are?" She smiled when he shook his head, but she could tell that he was lying. He knew exactly what she was holding, and what it meant.

When he was sure that his temper was in check, Naraku calmly said, "No, but I am sure that you are going to tell me."

However, he knew exactly what they were. They were proxies, and from the way the three Taisho males stiffened, it had to be their proxies. If she were pulling them out, then she meant to use them. After all, the company was technically hers, anyways. They couldn't do a damn thing to stop her.

"Alright." Kagome replied, smiling and playing along. "I'll tell you what they are. They are proxies, but then again, from your smirk, I think you knew what they were when I pulled them out."

Moving away from the table, Kagome smiled over at all of the room's occupants and calmly said, "I don't like being played for a fool. To underestimate me is to insult me, and I won't stand for it. Just because I have breasts, doesn't mean that I am any less of a threat than if I had a penis. In fact, I'm probably the biggest threat in this room, just because I know how to play under the table, and win. I had an excellent teacher, and he made sure to pass everything he knew to me. I use that knowledge to the best of my ability and won't hold back."

Her board of directors chuckled at her tone, knowing that she was about to cause someone some serious problems. The others in the room, though, looked shocked at her choice of words. Inu Taisho and Inu Yasha exchanged glances, but then turned their eyes towards Sesshomaru, who kept his eyes trained upon Kagome.

"Now, I am in a bind." Kagome said, and moved back to her papers, and pulled out another stack of papers, similar to the first stack she pulled out. "I am not a very patient woman, and some would consider that to be a potential downfall, but I just see it as me wanting something, and not waiting to get it."

Naraku stood up, his eyes glued to the papers she held in her hand, horrified. Kagome nodded, as if confirming his thoughts.

"Yes. Just like I did with Sesshomaru and his company, I did to you, as well." She said, smirking. "After all, I didn't gain the reputation I have now simply by sitting around, collecting dust on my ass."

Naraku gripped the table, his knuckled turning white as his rage continued to mount. "How?" He demanded. He glanced over at his brother, and found the male to be staring straight at him, his face void of any emotion.

Kagome laughed, and motioned for him to sit down. Hell, she didn't care if he knew how. There was nothing he could do about it, and now, she held all of the power. Two major companies, being held by the balls by a small, wisp of a woman. "I did it by going to the people who held the proxies, and convincing them that I was the lesser of two evils." She explained, her tone patient. "Apparently, you are not very well liked, or respected. Try to take your defeat with some dignity."

Glancing around the table, Kagome nodded over at Ayame. "Did you get me what I asked for?" She asked. Of course the wolf had it. Kagome just wanted Naraku to know just who it was that served his head to her on a silver platter. She wanted him to know how it felt to be betrayed. After all, he was planning to betray her, so she just beat him to the punch. Nothing more, nothing less.

The female wolf nodded, and stood up. Without a word, she shoved her purse across the table and into Kagome's hands. Reaching into the black bag, Kagome smiled and pulled out the last of the proxies that she had been waiting for.

Naraku was done for.

"Thank you, Ayame." She said, smiling over at the wolf. Turning to look over at Naraku, whose face was now a pasty white, she said, "This will be coming in handy in a few short moments."

When the wolf sat back down, Kagome's smile died off of her lips and she glared over at Naraku. "Do you take me for an idiot?" She demanded, her eyes flashing with fury. "I know that you are the one who went after Hojo's reputation, and I know that you are the one who tried to call my marriage to him into question. However, I'm not the sort of woman to do something without thinking it through."

Kagome glared over at Inu Yasha when he snorted at her comment, but then turned back to Naraku. "Right now, I have the power to destroy two companies, but as I have said, I will only be taking one out and merging with the other, on my terms." She said, and then looked over at Muso. "I thank you for your time, and appreciate yours and Ayame's help. The money has been wired to your account, along with a little extra, to show my appreciation. Our deal is now complete."

Muso stood and helped Ayame to her feet. As they walked to the door, Kagome asked, "Ayame, please check to see if my guests have arrived."

Ayame looked out into the waiting room, and watched as Muso moved over to greet the men, before turning and saying, "They are here. Do you want them to come in?"

"No, please ask them to stay outside for a few more minutes. I have something else to say to Naraku, and don't wish to be interrupted." Kagome said, and then sat back down in her seat when the wolf nodded, and closed the door before leaning against it, and waiting for her cue.

Naraku glared over at Kagome, but he couldn't help but be in awe of how devious she was. She really was good at what she did. However, the bitch was still going down. He would not lose to anyone, especially a bitch with delusions of greatness. "I don't care what you think you hold on my company." He snapped. "I won't let you take me down without a fight."

Kagome nodded. "I know." She said, quietly. "So, I am removing you from the picture, completely. I can't tell you how much you disgust me, and just so that we are clear on this matter....I would have never joined your company. I already know about some of the things you've been into and I wouldn't dirty my name with yours."

She could feel everyone's eyes upon her, but she only had eyes for Naraku. Nodding over to Ayame, who was still standing in the doorway, she watched as two men walked in. Their faces were set in hard lines, and they stood patiently by Ayame.

"Hojo came back into my life at a very difficult time." Kagome said, her eyes never leaving Naraku's. "He saved me, and my son, from a life that would have been very hard on us, emotionally. He was a good man."

"He was a flamer." Naraku spat. He glared over at the two men, who were staring at him openly. "He only married you for looks, nothing else."

Shaking her head, Kagome sighed. "Only someone like you would think that way." She replied. "He loved me and my son. And, I know that you are the one who took him away from us. I know that you are the one who sabotaged his plane. He wouldn't let you near his company, so you decided to get rid of him and try your luck against me, but it didn't work. Hojo was right. You are pathetic, and have no business controlling a company. I am about to remedy that, right now."

Naraku froze. Glancing over at Ayame, he saw that Muso had joined her, and the two strange men, and was staring at him, watching his downfall.

"I don't know what you mean." He said, his voice hard.

"Oh, I think that you do." Kagome murmured, her own tone hard. "Muso has been kind enough to provide me and the police with a taped conversation that you had with him where you confessed to sabotaging my husband's plane. He has also handed over several other tapes that has you admitting to other crimes. So, you're going to be too busy to worry about what I am doing with your company, or should I say, my company."

When she nodded at the two men, they came forward and surrounded Naraku. The hanyou was silent as his rights were read to him, and he was silent as he was led away. However, as he passed by his brother and Ayame, he hissed out, "I'm going to make you pay for this. Both of you."

Muso slid his arm around Ayame's waist and hugged her to him. "Try it." Muso snapped. "Besides, with all of the enemies that you have, I'd be more worried about protecting my own ass rather than threatening other people. You are no longer in power, brother."

Once the hanyou was gone, Kagome shook her head, and looked at the couple by the door. Ayame's eyes were locked onto Kagome's and she softly said, "I really am sorry, Kagome."

Kagome nodded. "I know you are, Ayame." She replied. "I can't forget it, but I can do my best to forgive. As far as I am concerned, the matter between you and I is settled, as of now."

Ayame's face lit up and she nodded. It was as if years of guilt melted away and she felt like a new person.

Muso smiled down at the female wolf, and then looked over at Kagome. "I'm sorry for my part in this, but I'm glad that you got over on Naraku." He said, smirking. "I'm just sorry that your husband had to be the one to face Naraku's wrath. But, please know that I will testify against him and he will be getting all that he deserves."

Kagome laughed and shook her head. "Well, he doesn't know the worst of it yet." She said. "After you gave all of your information to me, I passed the information along to his board of directors. It seems that your brother has been a very naughty boy where money is concerned, and now, it is possible that he is going to lose everything that he owns. In fact, if I am not mistaking, his bank accounts are about to be frozen, and he'll have to settle for a court appointed attorney. How the mighty have fallen."

Muso smirked. Good. "Well, we are going to leave you alone." He said, glancing down to see Ayame smiling up at him. "I'm sure that there are more interesting things to do besides sitting in board meetings."

Kagome smiled as the pair left the room, closing the door behind them. Taking in a deep breath, she said, "As of right now, Onigumo Tech. is officially out of business."

Kagome watched as her board of directors nodded, and smiled at each other. However, there was still one more piece of business that she needed to deal with. Turning her head, she saw that Sesshomaru was watching her closely, and she took in a deep breath. She knew that he was waiting for her decision about his company.

She had to remain in control. It was almost over, and this was the most important deal of her life. She could not fail.

"I have reached a decision in the matter concerning the future of Taisho Corp." Kagome announced, watching as her directors leaned forward in anticipation.

When she announced her decision, the room erupted.


	18. Chapter 18

"I am announcing my full take-over of Taisho Corp., effective immediately."

The room filled with angry shouts, and demands for answers, yet Kagome kept her eyes glued upon the table, her body rigid. She could hear Sesshomaru's growls, along with those of his father and brother, but she could not allow herself to be swayed.

"It's about time." One of her associates jeered. "Now we can get rid of the fools here, and claim our domination of Japan's business world."

Carl, a long time friend of Hojo's stared straight at Kagome, before snapping, "If you will kindly recall, she said that she was merging the companies, not taking them over, so would you care to explain your decision to us, Kit? Or, are you going to keep us guessing, just like you usually do. Hojo may have coddled you on your whims, my dear, but on this one, I won't back down until I am satisfied to know that Yurakami Tech. Is safe and sound."

Looking up and cocking her eyebrow up at Carl, she shrugged. "Hojo never coddled me, Carl." She replied. "In fact, he was my biggest critic. He just never criticized me in front of anyone else. He allowed me to make my mistakes, and when I realized what they were, he made sure that I cleaned up after myself, and only stepped in when I asked. As I have said, he was an excellent teacher."

Glancing around the room, she sighed. "Hojo once told me that one day, I would find myself at a crossroad, and that it would be up to me on which path I took. Either path I took, he would still love and support me." She said, her eyes clouding over in memory. "I have found myself at that crossroad, and I have made a decision."

Seeing that she had the entire room's attention, she opened her briefcase and pulled out the two piles of proxies, and an envelope. Placing them both before her, she said, "When my son took his very first step, I was in Hong Kong. When he first said, "Mama", I was in London. When he first learned how to write his name, I was in Mexico."

She could see that everyone was confused, and sighed. "I've missed a lot of firsts with my son, gentlemen, and I'm not willing to miss anymore." She said. "I have decided to remain here, in Japan, so that my son can have a stable home and family, where he will know both sides."

Many of her associates nodded, murmuring that they understood. But, she knew why they would agree with her decision to remain in Japan. They hated it when she butted into their dealing and meddled. Boy, were they in for a rude awakening.

Inu Taisho felt his body calm as he listened to Kagome's words. He was thankful that she decided to remain in Japan. He would miss his grandpuppy something terrible and knew that Sesshomaru would have fought Kagome tooth and nail to prevent the boy from leaving.

Of course, Sesshomaru knew that if Tsukiko stayed, so would Kagome. In the end, it was all about his love for Kagome.

Bankotsu shifted uncomfortably. The Americans looked smug, and he could just bet that they were waiting for Kagome to appoint one of them to take her place in America as the CEO of Yurakami Tech.

"Now that I have laid the groundwork for what I have to say," She said, as she reached for the sealed envelope on the top of her stack of proxies, "Effective tonight at midnight, I am resigning as CEO of Yurakami Tech."

If she expected a huge explosion, she was disappointed. Her associates were all staring at her as if she grew another head, and the men and women of Taisho Corp. were staring at each other, also in shock.

"However, while I will not be an active member of this board, make no mistake that I will still have say in the dealings of Yurakami Tech." She said, her eyes narrowing in silent challenge. "I am not stupid enough to simply hand over total control. The proxies will remain in my grasp, until I deem otherwise."

Clearing his throat, Inu Taisho stood and addressed Kagome. "May I ask why the change of heart?" He asked. "Everyone knows how much Kit Yurakami loves the thrill of victory, so why give it up?"

Kagome smiled softly, and gave a little laugh. "My grandfather used to call me 'kitten' as a child." She replied. "Hojo began calling me 'Kit' as a way of giving me a piece of my childhood to hold on to, especially since everything in my life had gone wrong, at that time."

Looking up, she faced Inu Taisho directly and looked him in the eyes. "I've spent most of Tsukiko's life in the boardroom, crushing my opponents and reveling in my victories. Where I needed to be was with my son, savoring his life and remembering his sister." She said. "I've cheated us both out of a lot of precious memories, and I'm not willing to do that, anymore."

"Who do you have in mind to take your place, as CEO?" Carl asked, his eyes soft. He, too, could understand where Kit was coming from. Hojo once told him that she had no place in the business world, and would have made a far better mother than businesswoman, but in order to protect her, Hojo was determined to make her into a threat, just to spite the man sitting at the end of the table.

Kagome smiled, knowing full well that her other companions desired her seat, but they were going to be severely disappointed.

"Sarah Foster is going to take my place as CEO of America's branch of Yurakami Tech." Kagome said, her eyes narrowing when the men started to grumble. "Like me, she is vicious, and won't hesitate to use force to get her way. She will report to me, and to me, only. Even after I step down."

"What about the branch here in Japan, and what are you going to do with Taisho Corp.?" Kouga demanded, his forehead sprinkled with sweat. He knew damn well in those fuckers sitting on the opposite side of the table got their hands on Taisho Corp., then he and the others with Taisho Corp., were out of a job.

"I wouldn't worry about it, wolf." One of the American men jeered, "I'm sure you can find another job kissing someone else's ass, somewhere else."

Kouga snarled at the man, but was stopped by Bankotsu, who had grabbed his arm. Looking over at Kagome, he saw that her lips were pressed in a thin line, as she regarded her associates. He knew that look. Hell, he'd been on the receiving end of it a lot when they were kids.

She was pissed, and was about to deal with the man in her own special way.

"I wouldn't sound too smug, if I were you, Sal." Kagome snapped. "The one I appoint to over see Japan's division of Yurakami Tech., and to see over the merge with Taisho Corp., might not like what you have to offer, and get rid of you. I'd watch my mouth."

The man named, Sal, scowled at Kagome, but slumped in his seat, defeated. While she said that she was stepping away from the CEO, she could still make his life a living hell, and from her very own living room, too.

Sesshomaru was quiet throughout Kagome's speech. He was glad that he didn't have to worry about fighting Kagome to keep his son in Japan, but now he had to worry about what the future holds for him with Taisho Corp, or whatever Kagome chose to do with it.

She had him by the balls, and she must have known it.

Kagome bowed her head as she prepared herself for what she was about to say. This was it, and she prayed that Hojo was watching over her, and understood what she was about to do. She hoped that he would approve, because this was what her heart desired.

"My successor as CEO of Yurakami Tech. knows this company inside and out." She said, and smiled. "I have complete faith that they will continue the proud tradition that both of our companies are famous for, and I know that I will not have to worry about the company failing. I know my successor too well to know that they will not accept failure."

Moving away from her seat, Kagome slowly approached the head of the table, where Sesshomaru sat. When she came to his side, he stood up, assuming that she wanted his seat at the head of the table, but was stunned when instead, she handed him the envelope.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I gladly introduce the new CEO of Yurakami Tech, and the CEO of Taisho Corp., Sesshomaru Taisho." Kagome said, and motioned for her associates to applaud their new leader, even though she knew that they were seething. Well, it wasn't her problem, any longer.

Sesshomaru stood still, his eyes never leaving the envelope in his hand, and vaguely heard the scattered applause, and the whispered remarks. He finally snapped out of his stupor when he heard Kagome wish the room a good day and began walking to the door, her briefcase in her hand.

Before she touched the door, a large hand grasped her upper arm, and she heard Sesshomaru tell the others, "We will return shortly. Kagome and I need to talk."

After the door closed behind them, Kouga smirked and glanced over at the American named Sal. "So, what was that about me having to find someone else to kiss ass for?" He asked, his tone merry.

~!~

Neither spoke a word, and when they were behind the doors of his office, he escorted her to the couch and said, "I don't know what game you are playing, but I do not appreciate it, at all."

"I'm not playing. In fact, I'm finished with the game." Kagome replied, her tone weary. "The only loser in this game has been Tsukiko, and I'm not willing to allow him to lose anymore, not because of me, and certainly not because you and I have some unsettled issues."

"So, you are doing this for our son, then?" Sesshomaru asked, turning to look Kagome in the eyes. When she shook her head, he became confused.

"No, I didn't do it all for our son." She confessed, sheepishly. "I did it because for the first time in a very long time, I have enough control to do what I want, and how I want it. I'm not bowing to someone else's word, nor am I looking for anyone's approval. My decision to be with Tsukiko is my decision, and mine alone."

Standing up, she walked over to the large window and then asked, "Do you ever wonder what could have been if you and I had not been pulled apart?"

"Every day when I wake up and every night before I sleep." Sesshomaru replied, not hesitating even a moment.

"I'd like to think that if things had been different, then you and I would have had a large family together, and a happy home." She said, her tone soft. "I can't help but feel cheated.

Sesshomaru slowly walked up behind Kagome, and placed his hands upon her shoulders. He, too, felt cheated out of all of the precious time he could have spent with Kagome and their pup.

He knew that while Ayame had started this mess, he should have been the one to end it.

"I, too, like to believe that our home would have been very happy, filled with love and laughter." He murmured, his hands gently rubbing her shoulders and his eyes staring at their reflection in the window.

"Do you think that you and I will ever find our way back to each other, Kagome?" He asked, his face, for once, not in its stoic mask, but now filled with a softness that she had never seen before.

Slowly, she turned and gave a soft laugh. "Hojo used to tell me, teasingly of course, that if there were anyone on this planet who could steal me away from him, it would be you." She said, as hot tears began to make their way down her cheeks. "He knew, even when he married me, that I still loved you, but I insisted that he was wrong. I can remember telling him that I hated you, but Hojo had this knack for seeing through people, and he saw right through me, but he didn't care. He loved me and figured that his love was enough for the both of us."

Sesshomaru lifted his hand and brushed away her tears, silently watching as more came to take their place. "For all that he has done for you, he will always have my gratitude." Sesshomaru murmured, his claw slipping underneath her chin so that he could lift her face to look at him. "For all that he has done for our son, he holds my loyalty. For all that he did, when I could not, he is now and forever, a part of the Taisho family, despite being gone. Any who dares speak ill of him will face my wrath, and I will not hold back. It is the least I can do for him, and for you."

Kagome's throat constricted as she listened to Sesshomaru's words. She knew he was waiting for an answer to his question, but she simply didn't have one.

As a sob tore from her throat, she shook her head and tearfully said, "I don't know if we can ever go back, Sesshomaru. Too much has happened, and I just don't see how it would be possible."

He stroked her hair from her eyes, and replied, "I am not willing to go back, Kagome. We can never go back, but we can rebuild. We can start on the foundation that is our son, and though it will take time, and I am willing to give you all the time you need, we can find our way back to each other."

His words nearly brought her to tears, but it was his next sentence that broke the dam she had long ago built around her heart. Until now, she had never heard the words spill from his mouth, and when they did, she shattered.

"I am tired of focusing on the 'what could have beens'. The fact that you are talking to me, and listening to my words, tells me that now I can focus on the 'what will be's.'" Sesshomaru whispered, his lips tickling her ear. "I love you, Kagome Yurakami. I always have, and I always will, even after I take my last breath. You and Tsukikomaru are my heart, and my home, just as Rin and I, are yours."

Kagome's body shook as sobs began to escape from her throat, and she didn't fight him when he pulled her to his chest. He held her tightly as she cried, her pain washing away as she finally released years of anger, hurt, and sadness.

His Kagome was finally set free, and now, he would ensure that she would never face that hellish prison she had lived in, ever again.

* * *

Inu Taisho smiled and quietly moved away from the door. He was about to knock, but froze when he heard the conversation between his son and Kagome. He knew damn well that Sesshomaru would not wish to leave Kagome in favor of returning to the boardroom, so as the patriarch of the family, and seeing as how he was the one who made the decisions when Sesshomaru was absent, he would conduct the rest of the meeting.

Besides, he was dying to wipe the floor with some of those American men who thought to make fun of them.

When he returned to the boardroom, he smiled, though it was unpleasant. "Gentlemen and ladies, Sesshomaru's meeting with Kagome will last longer that what was anticipated, therefore, I will be conducting the rest of this meeting, in his absence." He said, his tone curt.

Carl leaned back in his chair and sighed. The shit was going to hit the fan, now.

* * *

Kagome returned to the hotel and gave Goshinki a weary smile. He took her coat and said, "Tsukiko is in bed, and Kaede refused to leave that little girl, Rin, behind, so she and Tsukiko are sharing his bed, tonight."

Nodding, Kagome followed Goshinki and allowed him to push her to the floor, in front of the couch. Without speaking, his hands went to her shoulders and he began to massage the knots caused by stress, out.

After several minutes, he finally asked, "So, when will you be leaving for your meeting in Brazil?"

When Kagome didn't answer, he lifted an eyebrow, and repeated his question, this time using the tone she knew that meant that he wanted an answer.

"I'm not going." She replied, and gave off a soft laugh. "I quit."

"You quit what?" Goshinki asked, confused. What in the hell was she talking about, and why wasn't she going to that damn meeting? She was the one who set it up and was quite excited about it.

Kagome took in a deep breath and turned so that she was looking up at Goshinki. "I resigned as CEO of Yurakami Tech." She explained, her mouth quirking up a bit. "I decided that I've been neglecting my job as a mother for too long, and it was time that I remedied that."

Goshinki paused and then asked, "What is going to happen to Yurakami Tech?"

"Well, even though I stepped down at CEO, major decisions still have to be run by me for approval, and I have the option to go to meetings whenever I want." She said, her eyes twinkling. "Carl and the others are probably sore at me, though."

Goshinki smirked. Of course they were probably angry at her. If she didn't chose one of them as her replacement, then they'd have to worry about dealing with someone whom they knew nothing about. However, Carl would probably support her decision, once he cooled off. Despite his aggressive nature, the man actually did care about Kagome.

"So, who did you chose as your replacement?" He asked, and watched as she gave him another sheepish smile.

Kagome cleared her throat and smiled. "I chose Sarah as my American replacement, and I chose Sesshomaru to oversee Yurakami Tech's Japanese branch. Sarah will report to me, directly, and I will decide what needs to go before Sesshomaru, and what doesn't. Besides, he is going to have his hands full with the merging of our companies, and the dismantling of Naraku's company."

"I heard that he was arrested on suspicion of Hojo's murder." Goshinki said, his tone thoughtful, though he wasn't surprised by Kagome's choice as her replacement. It was bound to happen. "I always believed him to be involved in some way, but could never prove it. Hojo did say that the man was evil to the core. I guess he was right on the money."

"You knew about Naraku and never told me?" Kagome demanded, her tone outraged. The man before her held up his hands and calmly said, "Settle down, Kit. Hojo knew of other attempts on his life by Naraku, but refused to change his lifestyle, and since we couldn't prove that Naraku was involved, Hojo refused to give the man any satisfaction by changing his ways. He said that he would not cower nor would he show fear, until the day he brought you into our lives. You and Tsukiko were the only two things in his life he feared for, and it was because of the several attempts against him that he decided to place you into my care. Before you came into our lives, I was Hojo's personal guard."

Frowning, Kagome asked, "So, if you took care of us, who took care of Hojo?"

"Hiro did." Goshinki replied. At Kagome's stunned look, he sighed and shifted uncomfortably. "You never saw Hiro, until after they became a couple. Hiro, like me, was in a specialized military unit, and when we retired, we were recruited by Hojo. Hiro stayed in the background and was unseen, but when I became yours and Tsukiko's guard, Hiro took his place by Hojo's side. However, what was supposed to be a working relationship, grew into love, and then came the day when they could no longer deny what they felt. Please believe me when I say that Hiro loved you and Tsukiko very much. He tried to fight it, just as Hojo did, but in the end, they couldn't stop what their hearts desired, and fell in love with each other."

Kagome took in a deep breath, and then slowly let it out. She leaned into Goshinki's hand when he lightly stroked her cheek.

"I'm glad that Hojo was with the one he loved, when he died." She said, her eyes swimming with tears.

Goshinki smiled, though she couldn't help the thought that when Goshinki smiled, it was more frightening than when he glared.

"Hojo loved you, as well." He said. "That man would have walked to the ends of the earth for you. There are other kinds of love than physical. You and Hiro completed Hojo, and made his life worth living. Tsukiko gave Hojo a sense of purpose and made him look to a future where he would one day watch as his son, though not of his blood, took his place within the business. He was so proud of you both, and when he died, I know that his last thoughts were filled with worry for the both of you."

Goshinki felt a lump in his throat, but quickly swallowed it down and said, "Now that Sesshomaru is here to watch over you, I have a feeling that my days as your guard are numbered."

Kagome gasped and then threw herself against his chest, her arms around his waist. "Don't you dare talk like that." She snapped. "You are part of my family. You are not going anywhere, so knock that kind of talking off."

Goshinki smiled down at the dark head and allowed his hand to stroke her soft hair. "As you wish." He murmured, and silently gave thanks for the knowledge that he would be around to watch the pup grow and Kagome find the happiness she deserved.

She was right. They were family, and no matter what, they would never be pulled apart. He would make sure that they were cared for, and should Kagome decide to bring Sesshomaru into the family, well, he could give the inu a run for his money in the cold looks department.

Settling back with Kagome still holding onto him for dear life, he was about to relax, but then a thought hit him. He had Kagome, Tsukiko, and Kaede to look after, but now that Tsukiko had discovered that he had a sister, he knew that the little human girl would be around a lot, and he was sure that he would grow attached to her, just like he was to Tsukiko.

Gods help the boys that came around when she was old enough to date. They wouldn't get close enough to get a goodnight kiss. Not on his watch.

* * *

Kagome sighed happily and walked down the stairs and headed into the living room. Nearly two years had passed since she gave up her position as CEO, and she was happy to say that she had not looked back.

At first, she had been restless and bored, while at home, so she began to look around and found some activities that she could participate in while the pups were at school.

Tsukiko and Rin were nearly inseparable and so, she and Sesshomaru quickly came to an agreement that the pups would stay with her during the week, and then they would stay with him on the weekends. He had also arranged his schedule so that he could be at home with the pups, to spend quality time with them, and in order to do that, he delegated parts of his job to his brother, father, Kouga, and surprisingly, Carl.

Despite a rough beginning, Sesshomaru and Carl had come to an agreement, and it was Carl who dealt with handling meetings in other countries. It was a very good arrangement, and she was happy to say that Yurakami-Taisho Inc. was more powerful than before their two companies merged.

She quickly picked up the toys that were scatted on the living room floor, and had giggled madly when Goshinki had snapped at her that he was drowning in dolls and cars. So, to appease the large youkai, she cleaned up while the pups were at school and did so happily.

She and her mother had finally worked out their estranged relationship. While it still saddened her that her own mother could think the worst of her, she was glad that they had sat down and talked everything out. It took a while, but she now felt that she could forgive her mother and they could move on, and her mother could enjoy a loving relationship with both pups, even though Rin was not biologically her grandchild.

However, just because there was no blood between her and Rin, that didn't stop the little girl from calling her mama.

It had been a Friday afternoon, and she was supposed to drive the pups over to Sesshomaru's home so that they could spend the weekend together, but when Rin and Tsukiko came home, she could tell that Rin had been crying.

At first, Rin was too upset to tell her what was wrong, so it had been Tsukiko who told her that their school was holding a mother and daughter tea party on Saturday, and the other girls had made fun of Rin for not having a mother.

Of course, Tsukiko, in normal Taisho fashion, had dealt with the girls, much to Goshinki's amusement, and scared the hell out of them, but that didn't solve the situation at hand.

So, she announced to Goshinki that she was taking the pups to Sesshomaru, and gave the youkai a wink, telling him that wasn't all that she was going to do. The drive to Sesshomaru's home had been very quiet, save for Rin's sniffles. When they arrived, Sesshomaru greeted them, and narrowed his eyes when he saw his daughter's tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes.

Smiling up at the normally stoic youkai, she presented him with Tsukiko's hand and cheerfully said, "I'm taking Rin shopping. She and I have a mother and daughter tea party to go to, tomorrow. I'll bring her back once we have found our dresses, and I'll be picking her up around eleven tomorrow morning."

Sesshomaru quickly nodded, and watched as Rin's eyes grew wide in surprise. Rin quickly scrambled into the car, and watched as she kissed her brother and gave both Tsukiko and her father a wave, before getting back into the car, and driving to the nearest store.

For almost two and a half hours, they looked. Finally, she found a dress she knew would look absolutely beautiful on Rin, and so, she bought it, along with shoes. When the clerk smiled and told Rin that she was so lucky to have a mommy who bought her such a beautiful dress, she smiled at the clerk and calmly replied, "No. I'm the lucky one. I'm lucky to have a beautiful daughter and a handsome son. Their father and I are truly blessed."

When they were out of the store, Rin couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears. Leading her over to a bench, she pulled the crying girl into her arms, and softly asked her why she was crying.

"Rin doesn't really have a mommy. Rin's mommy didn't want her and she threw Rin away." The small girl sobbed, her tears coming on stronger.

Gripping Rin's arms in her own, Kagome asked, "Who told you that? I want to know who said such a horrible thing to you, Rin."

"T-the girls at school said that they knew that daddy wasn't Rin's daddy because he is youkai and Rin is an ugly, little human." Rin whispered, a bright, red blush spreading across her cheeks. "Even their mothers said so."

She could feel her temper rising, and she knew if she told Sesshomaru what had been said to Rin, that there would be a lot of bloodshed in that school. However, while she wasn't physically aggressive, she was still threatening, and could out-bitch the best.

"Rin, look at me." She ordered, her eyes and voice firm. When Rin looked up at her, she took Rin's chin in her hand and said, "I don't know why you are listening to those clucking hens, but let's get one thing very clear. I am your mother, just as I am Tsukiko's. If I didn't love you, or care for you, I would not allow you to live with me. You have a mother, and don't you ever let anyone tell you differently. You are a Taisho, and you are my daughter. I do not let people push me around, and as my daughter, I expect the same from you. Do I make myself clear?"

Rin's mouth flopped open, and she quickly sniffled before peering up at her, trying to see if she was joking. But, the firm look upon her face must have convinced her, because Rin timidly asked, "Can Rin call you mama?"

Smiling, she stroked the hair that oddly, looked so much like her own. "I would love it, if you called me, mama." She replied, and soon found her arms filled with a sobbing child, happy that she now finally had a mother to call her own.

As she stroked Rin's hair, she said, "Don't worry about tomorrow. Mama is going to make sure they never target you, again. I promise."

And, she kept that promise. As she told Sesshomaru, she was at his home, but instead of arriving a bit before eleven, she showed up at eight, and when Sesshomaru took in the sight of her in sweats and slippers, carrying a few bags, she shrugged, and said, "I thought it would be nice if Rin and I got ready together."

The tea party was set for noon, and when they arrived, the small room grew quiet, and the teacher, a female youkai who looked as though she had swallowed a lemon, stepped forward and stiffly asked, "May I help you?"

Kagome smiled and schooled her own face into one of haughty indifference. "Rin invited me for tea, and I have accepted. Is there a problem?" She asked, her tone holding a slight warning in it.

The female's eyes narrowed and she snapped, "I would appreciate it if you would inform Mr. Taisho that having one of his girlfriends bring his daughter is highly unacceptable, and is in bad taste."

She lifted her eyebrow slightly, and moved Rin to stand behind her, shielding her from the mocking eyes of her classmates. Squaring her shoulders, she stared the female down and watched with glee as the bitch shifted uncomfortably.

"I don't believe you and I have ever met, but allow me to remedy that, right now." She said, her tone one of superiority. "My name is Kagome Yurakami, but I am better known at Kit Yurakami, of Yurakami Tech, which of course, is now called Yurakami-Taisho Inc."

Kagome smirked when the woman's face lost all traces of color, before continuing. "I can assure you that I am Rin's mother, and my daughter came home yesterday, upset because there has been some discussion that she doesn't have a mother and that she was thrown away. May I ask what that is all about?"

The woman stepped back and looked down to find Rin peeking out from behind her mother's dress. A cough brought her attention back to the angered mother in front of her and she quickly said, "Forgive me, but your husband is youkai, is he not?"

Smiling, Kagome nodded. After all, this fool or the ones behind her, didn't need to know that she and Sesshomaru were not married, nor did they need to know that most of what she was saying was a line of shit. Besides, in business, bullshitting was almost a prerequisite, so she would just go with her strengths.

"Yes, he is youkai, and our son is hanyou. Our other daughter, Rin's older sister, passed away at birth and was also hanyou. However, Rin is human, just as I am. I suppose it could be due to my family's line of mikos, and that Rin has inherited the miko trait, causing her to be human, but how is that any of your business? Do you take it upon yourself to look down upon small children, simply because they look differently from their parents?" She demanded, and felt Rin's face hide against her thigh. "Who in the hell died and made you so high and mighty?"

The woman stammered out explanations, most of which she ignored. Her hand was busy smoothing out Rin's hair, lovingly taking great care not to mess up the gentle curls that she had placed into her daughter's hair for this event.

When she finally had enough, she lifted her hand and silenced the woman, and then looked over at the large table where the other mothers and their daughters were sitting. Besides Rin, there were no other human or hanyou children there. Suddenly, it all made sense to her.

They didn't want Rin there. They were making her life a living hell, simply because she was human. Turning her eyes to the woman, she shook her head.

"You know, I've met a lot of ignorant people in my life." She said, and smiled. "However, this school takes the cake. I'm am quite aware that the Taisho family is your leading contributor, as far as funding goes, and please believe me when I say that I will make sure that all funding stops, as of today."

The woman's eyes welled with tears, and she quickly said, "Please, we need that funding. If it is taken away, we might have to close the school. We are one of the best."

"The best at what?" She demanded, her tone sarcastic. "The best at tormenting children who don't fit into your desired mold? Frankly, I don't give a damn if your doors close. After the way my child came home, yesterday, you should be thankful I am not suing you for intentional infliction of emotional distress and discrimination."

Motioning towards the door, she watched as Rin walked over and placed her hand on the door knob. Turning back to the woman, she sneered, "It was very foolish to mess with my pup. Now, you get to find out first hand, why it isn't wise to piss me off. Be thankful that it's me you are dealing with and not her father. I doubt that they'd be able to get the blood stains out of the carpet before Monday."

Turning away, she smiled brightly at Rin and cheerfully said, "I don't feel like tea, right now. Let's you and I be really bad, and go get some lunch and then some ice cream."

Rin's smile lit up the room and together, they left and didn't look back. True to her word, she took Rin to lunch and grinned when the waiter fell all over himself, trying to please Rin and impress her.

When they finally arrived at Sesshomaru's home, it was almost dark, mainly because Rin had seen a movie poster of her favorite cartoon and so, begged her new mother to see it.

Rin was fast asleep in the back of her car, hugging the large, white dog she had purchased at a toy store. Rin had told her that it looked just like her daddy. Smiling a bit, she didn't even blink when told the price. After all, Rin's smile and obvious adoration for her father made the price unimportant. Besides, she couldn't wait to see the look on Sesshomaru's face when he saw the large dog, and when he heard that Rin had stated that it looked exactly like him.

When he heard her car pull up, Sesshomaru walked outside, with Goshinki in tow, and watched as the larger youkai opened the car door and took possession of Rin.

"Really, Kit." Goshinki admonished, his tone scolding. "This little girl should have been home before dark. Little ones need all the rest they can get." Clearly, the large youkai had perfected his 'mothering hen' routine and didn't mind using it on her.

Shooting him a wink, she simply replied, "Rin and I lost track of time. I'll do better next time. I promise."

"Yeah, yeah." Goshinki grumbled and carried the girl into the house, with Kaede hot on his heels. When they were alone, Sesshomaru said, "Apparently, your bodyguard and nanny became bored and came over to offer their services. They were surprised to hear that you were at a tea party with Rin."

She blushed and said, "Oh, yeah, about that. I took both Rin and Tsukiko out of that hellish school. May I use your bathroom?" She asked, and quickly pushed past the stunned youkai and made a mad dash for the house, but was quickly caught and pulled into his study, where he closed his door.

She sat down in the chair in front of his desk, and watched as he perched himself on the edge of the desk that was closest to her.

"Alright." He said, his eyes narrowing. "I'm listening."

So, she told him what happened, and watched as his eyes switched from gold to red, many times. Finally, he asked, "Are you comfortable with Rin calling you, 'Mother'?"

Smiling up at the portrait that held their deceased daughter, she smiled and softly replied, "Oh, yes. I'm more than comfortable with it."

Of course, she then had to tell him that the school was under the impression that they were married, which caused him to lift his eyebrow up at her.

"Now, where would they get that idea?" He asked, and silently enjoyed the way she shifted uncomfortably. Finally, she snapped, "Well, what would you have done in my place? I had to work with what I had. If anyone questions it, we can just say that we are very discreet about our lives."

For several moments, he didn't speak, but finally, he said, "I could not think of a better mother for my pups, than you, Kagome. You have my word. That school will not receive another cent from the Taisho family."

Ever since that day, she and Sesshomaru came to an understanding, that quickly changed their relationship, evolving it from polite co-parenting, to something.......better.

* * *

"Kagome, the show is on." Kaede said, her voice cutting through Kagome's memories. Smiling at the elderly woman, she moved to sit down beside her and waited patiently for the show to begin.

Looking around as she waited for the commercial to be over, she smiled and thought about the difference that two years and the ability to forgive could change one's perspective.

Now, she was finally happy, and surrounded by her family, those she loved more than her own life. Now, she could look towards the future, and knew that it would be filled with the happiness she had starved for, so many years ago.

Kagome Yurakami was finally at home.


	19. Epilogue

_Jakotsu! Jakotsu! Jakotsu!_ The crowd chanted and cheered wildly as their host finally appeared, dressed in a soft pink outfit, his hair and make-up done to perfection.

The man smiled and quickly took his place before the camera, a bright smile upon his ruby lips. When given his cue, he smiled at the camera and said, "Welcome to another titillating episode of Jakotsu. Today, we look back at some of our more memorable guests, and see just how their lives have changed since the show."

Moving over to his chair on the stage, Jakotsu reached down and picked up the cards that were in his chair, before sitting down. Once he was comfortable, he said, "Let's look at Sango and Miroku. This couple appeared before us because Miroku had said that he could not possibly be the father of Sango's daughter, Sakura."

Taking in a deep breath, Jakotsu smiled. "However, after taking a polygraph test, Sango proved that she was truthful in her claims, but Miroku, on the other hand, failed his test miserably. After the DNA test, Miroku was discovered to be Sakura's father, and Sango exacted her revenge quiet nicely."

The screen behind Jakotsu changed to a shot of Sango rushing after Miroku, beating him over his head with her fists as she screamed at him. Once the scene was finished, Jakotsu turned and said, "We have received a video postcard from Sango, so let's hear what she has to say."

Suddenly, Sango appeared on the screen, and smiled. "Hi, Jakotsu. I just wanted to let you and everyone know that Sakura and I are very happy. After your show, Miroku did apologize, and has made a great effort to make amends. In fact, his effort was so great, that a year ago, we were married, after nearly five years of trying to fix what had gone wrong in our relationship. Now, we are both happy as can be, and we have you to thank. Don't we, Miroku?" She asked, and the camera cut over to the dark haired man, who was sitting beside the woman nervously, a hand print clear on his cheek.

"Yes, my dearest Sango." he replied, his face twitching. "We are very happy. Very, very happy, indeed."

The camera cut back to Sango and she smiled. "Well, we want to thank you again, Jakotsu, for all of your help." She said, and together, she and Miroku said, "Thanks, Jakotsu."

The screen turned black and Jakotsu turned with a smile towards the camera. "Well, I'm thrilled to see the two of you so happy, Sango. I wish you both the best life has to offer." He said.

Jakotsu turned towards another camera, and said, "I'm sure that this next couple needs no introduction. In fact, this couple caught the attention of so many of our viewers, that we have received several bags of letters, begging for an update. Well, my little darlings, you are about to get it."

"I am sure that you remember Kagome and Sesshomaru. They appeared on the same show as Sango and Miroku, and Kagome wanted to prove to Sesshomaru that he was the father of her pup. However, Sesshomaru and his then girlfriend, Ayame, disputed Kagome's claims and viciously tore Kagome down. Let's take a look at that clip."

The screen lit up, and the audience watched as Sesshomaru and Ayame's accusations flew, while Kagome did her best to remain calm. When the results were read, the crowd went wild, and suddenly, the screen turned black.

Jakotsu grinned and shook his head. "After learning that he was indeed the father of Kagome's pup, Sesshomaru demanded that Ayame take a lie detector test, and when the results were read, we learned that Ayame failed, miserably."

Turning back to the first camera, Jakotsu smiled and said, "More than five years has passed, and we have finally found out what has happened to our most talked about couple. In fact, we received a video postcard. Let's take a look."

The dark screen lit up, and found Sesshomaru sitting behind his desk, his hands folded before him. He took in a deep breath and said, "I have received a request for an update for this ridiculous show, and have decided to grant one.

One year ago, after our son's sixth birthday, Kagome and I mated in the youkai community, and married in the human community. It has taken us a very long time to get to this point, but now, both of us are at a point in our lives where we compliment each other, and neither of us feels as if we are a burden on the other.

During our estrangement, I adopted a small human child, and was raising her when Kagome walked back into my life. Imagine my shock to find that after five years apart, Kagome returned and was able to overthrow my company, and merged it with hers, before stepping down as CEO of her own company, a company that she helped build with her deceased first husband, Hojo Yurakami.

Now, we live as a family and are happy to say that our home is filled with the love, laughter, and loyalty that we had been denied so long ago.

I am able to say that I am at fault for what happened to my Kagome, and I take full responsibility for her pain. Now, we have rebuilt the foundation that was needed to move forward and I can only see a bright future for my family.

Thank you for your time, and do not approach us, again. She might consider you a friend, Jakotsu, but I think that you are a nuisance. Good day."

The screen went black, and Jakotsu turned and gave a small laugh. "Oh, don't you just want to eat him up with a spoon? You know you love me, Sessy." He said, giving the camera a suggestive wink that he knew would anger the youkai and would send his boyfriend into a fit of laughter.

However, he needed to cut to a commercial, and quickly said, "When we return, we will find out what happened with Keiko and Yusuke and if they are together. So, sit back and get comfy. Jakotsu will return, my darlings."

When the commercial appeared, Kagome muted the television and turned to look over at Kaede. "Did you know that he was going to do that?" She asked, and watched as the elder woman shook her head.

"No, I didn't." Kaede replied, and then smiled. "I am impressed, though. He didn't have to do it, but he granted that interview, mainly as a way of closing that part of your lives. He was willing to embarrass himself to end that chapter. It is a very nice gesture."

Kagome smiled and stood up. Moving towards the window, she looked out and thought about that horrible day, and the people she came across since then.

Kikyo and Suikotsu were happier than ever, and had just announced that they were finally pregnant with their first child. She knew that Kikyo would be an excellent mother, and both of them were shocked when Bankotsu arrived at Kikyo's house with a large bag, filled with baby clothing and toys. He and Kikyo managed to work out their differences, and now, her family was no longer at war with each other.

Inu Yasha managed to convince Sesshomaru that while he was grateful for his role within the company, he wanted to be transferred over to America. After discussing the situation with Sarah Foster, the woman was thrilled to have one of the Taisho's at her side, helping her with her duties, and so, Sesshomaru granted Inu Yasha's request, and now, he was happily settled in his new home, and finally happy. He even managed to find a female hanyou with the same kind of temper that he had, and together, they were quite a pair.

Kouga met a young female wolf youkai and mated her within only two months of knowing her, though he was smart enough not to mark her in the heat of the moment. However, it was soon discovered that she had only mated him for his money, and so, he quickly got rid of her, and swore off women for life. But, nearly six months after his failed relationship, he met a young human and they began to date, though Kouga insisted that it was not serious. But, when the young lady told him that she was pregnant, Kouga did what he felt was right and married her, despite being wary. Now, it was over a year since they married and Kouga was head over heels in love.

Bankotsu finally came out of the closet. He had hidden the fact that he was homosexual and when it got to be too much for him, he went straight to Kagome, knowing that she would not shun him. Once he had her support, he called his friends together, and told them how he felt. At first, they didn't say a word, and then Kouga had snapped, "Well, its about fucking time."

Bankotsu was amazed to find that his group of friends had long suspect that he was homosexual, and they told him that they would support him in whatever he wanted. But, his youngest female cousin decided to arrange a meeting for him, and when he arrived at the restaurant, he found himself face-to-face with none other than Jakotsu. Clearly, Kagome had felt that the flamboyant talk show host would be the best match for him, and now they were coming up on their ninth month anniversary.

Her grandfather finally relented and allowed her mother and Bankotsu back onto the shrine grounds. After a long, stern discussion, he agreed to allow her mother to move back to the shrine, but made it perfectly clear to her that family protected family, and that her loyalty lay with her children, first and foremost. Once her mother agreed, she and her father worked out the problems that developed between them, though it was going very slowly. It would take time.

Muso did testify at Naraku's trial in exchange for immunity. It was his testimony, along with the taped conversations, that sealed Naraku's fate. At his sentencing, Naraku attempted to intimidate the judge, but was shocked to find that his sentence would put him behind bars for the rest of his life, without parole.

She, in turn, sued Naraku and his estate for the wrongful death of Hojo, and was awarded several million dollars in damages. However, she knew that she would not see a dime of it. In fact, she knew that Naraku was broke, and that all of his assets had been sold to pay back his company and his investors. Anything that was left was given to the state, in order to cover some of his legal expenses. But, it wasn't the money that she wanted. It was just the knowledge that she had defeated him, and it was all for Hojo. Besides, whatever she did receive, it would go to Hojo's favorite children's charity, and seeing as how she made regular yearly contributions, anyways, it really wasn't a big deal.

Kagura and Muso became close again, but Kagura was dismayed to find that Muso and Ayame had fallen in love and were planning to mate. However, since Kagura knew that she was willing to let things go, she stepped back and didn't try to cause any further trouble for the wolf.

Ayame was finally happy. After she and Muso betrayed Naraku, she accepted Muso's offer of joining him in opening a book store and coffee shop. It was hard work, but together, they made the small store a popular hangout for the college and high school crowd. And, once their business was secure, they decided to join in another venture together, and mated.

She received a letter from Ayame, and smiled at the picture that the female wolf sent. It was of her and Muso, smiling at the camera. The female wolf finally found what she had been seeking with Sesshomaru. She found unconditional love, and support.

Of course, Ayame also testified against Naraku, and explained to the court that the only reason why he approached her during her sham of a relationship with Sesshomaru was to get information on the eldest son of Inu Taisho. At the time, she had not known who Naraku was, and willingly engaged in a sexual relationship, but when he approached her to help him take Sesshomaru down later on, she discovered that yet again, she had been used.

But, with Naraku safely behind bars, she and Muso could live their lives, and not worry about repercussions. And now, they, too, had a pup to get ready for. Ayame was currently three and a half months pregnant.

Her life with Sesshomaru was nothing short of happy. It was at Tsukiko's sixth birthday that Sesshomaru kissed her for the very first time since all that mess had happened. Of course, she didn't count that time in his office, when she first returned to Japan.

True to his word, he went slowly with her, but on that day, he just could not help himself and so, while they were cleaning up from the large party, he leaned over and kissed her.

Of course, for them, a simple kiss leads to more intimate things, and so, that night, after their pups were in bed, she found herself in Sesshomaru's bed, his mouth paying homage to her body, as his hands gently stroked her into a frenzy.

Their lovemaking was not hurried, nor was it rough. Instead, Sesshomaru seemed intent on loving each part of her body, from the inside out, and would not hurry through it, despite her cries for him to go faster.

And so, she endured his pace, and when she finally climaxed, the words of how she felt slipped past her lips and into his ear.

"I love you, Sesshomaru."

The large youkai roared and as his own body lost control, his sharp fangs plunged into her neck, marking her and mating her in the traditional youkai fashion.

Of course, the moment he marked her, her body convulsed in pleasure, and suddenly, she had blacked out, her mind simply not able to withstand the vast signals it was currently receiving.

When she awoke, she found Sesshomaru holding her tightly to his chest, a soft rumbling echoing throughout his body, soothing her. When she lifted her head, he simply pushed her head back down and increased the rumbling, easing her back to a peaceful slumber.

Life with Sesshomaru was certainly exciting. She loved staying at home with the pups, while he went to the office, and quickly found that she loved cooking dinners, and though much of what she cooked came out inedible, Sesshomaru never complained, but Kaede did start going behind her and made a back-up dinner.....just in case.

Goshinki, Kageromaru, and Juromaru have been constants in their lives. Goshinki was still serving as guard to Tsukiko, but now, he was watching over Rin, as well. He took great pride in his job and on many occasions, he could be found, underneath the pups, as they tickled him mercilessly.

Jaken, of course, was thrilled to be relieved of his pup duties, and would often give Goshinki a look that said 'better you than me.'

Often, she and Sesshomaru found themselves at the cemetery, standing at Keyana's grave. She didn't know it, but a couple of months after she left Japan with Hojo and he had taken Rin into his home, Sesshomaru had tracked down Keyana's grave, and when he discovered that Kagome had not had enough money for a proper headstone, he quickly paid for one, and put the words:

_Keyana Higurashi-Taisho  
Beloved pup of Sesshomaru and Kagome  
Beloved sister to Tsukikomaru and Rin  
May you sleep in the arms of angels,  
until the day mommy and daddy can take over._

When she saw the headstone of an angel cradling a small pup, and read the words that Sesshomaru, himself, wrote, she cried. For him to do all of this, so long ago, stunned her, and she could not help but be comforted that her pup's father loved her, just as much as her mother did.

They made the trip to see their daughter at least three times a month, each time bringing fresh flowers with them. Even though she was gone from their lives, she held a permanent home within their hearts, and she would never be forgotten.

Everyone in her life seemed so happy now, and she was glad that she was a part of it. To know that she was loved, and loved someone in return made life that much sweeter, and it was thrilling to know that she would never be lonely again made her heart sing.

Kagome was yanked from her thoughts when the front door slammed and she quickly turned to see Sesshomaru walk into the living room, his briefcase in hand. Quirking her eyebrow up at him, she asked, "Is the great Sesshomaru Taisho actually playing hooky?"

The large youkai glared over at his tiny mate, but then allowed his shoulders to slump. When he finally looked up, he said, "Father took a vote with the board of directors, and I am being forced into a vacation. I've got five days to do nothing but stare at the walls."

Kagome smiled and walked over to her lover, her arms wrapping around his waist. "Oh, don't you worry." She said, winking up at him. "I think that I can find something for us to do. I promise, you won't be bored."

Peering down at her, Sesshomaru pondered her words, then gave a sharp nod of his head, indicating that he liked her idea. Once his briefcase was down, he looked over at Kagome, who was smiling at him, and he had no idea why.

"What has you so happy, mate?" He asked, genuinely curious. But, his curiosity grew wary when she began to walk towards him with a twinkle in her eyes, and Kaede quickly stood up and excused herself. Now he knew something was up. You couldn't tear Kaede away from the television when her talk shows were on.

Snuggling into his chest, Kagome grinned and casually said, "Oh, nothing. By the way, Jakotsu said that he could eat you up with a spoon, and that he knows that you love him."

Growling, Sesshomaru pulled back and asked, "And, when did you talk to that fool? Does he have a death wish?"

Laughing, Kagome shook her head and waved her hand in the air. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about Jakotsu, my love." She said, smirking. "He only said that after you called him a nuisance, on national television."

Sesshomaru's face froze. Wait, if Kagome knew what he called Jakotsu, then that meant that she had seen his taped message. The sissy-prissy was going to get his ass beat. He had told him not to air that tape.

However, all his anger melted away as Kagome snuggled even closer and whispered just what she thought of his taped interview. When she took his hand and began to lead him upstairs, he smirked and followed her lead, intent on beginning his vacation.

The living room was quiet for a couple of moments, but then Jakotsu's voice broke the silence.

"And now, we come to the part of the show, where I dish out some well thought out advice. People, be they youkai, hanyou, or human, are not perfect. We all make mistakes, and in one way or another, we pay for those mistakes. Many of those mistakes can be cleared up with open and honest communication. Just remember, if it isn't something nice to say about someone, then it isn't something to talk about.

Good bye, and hugs and kisses until next we meet."

The End


End file.
